Students who attend formal schooling are expected to learn a number of different subjects, and these usually include language, mathematics and science courses. While beginning classes in science often involve the elements normal to the immediate environment, advanced classes are often separated into separate categories. This is done to enable students to learn at a pace they can accept, and it also helps them delve deeper into each area of study.

The majority of students who graduate and go on to higher learning facilities must be conversant with the basic earth sciences, and those who are majoring in a science will be expected to take whatever classes fall within their major. It might seem redundant to have general classes that include all sciences and then go on to specialty classes before attending a college or university, but it is done to give students a better base for more knowledge. The sciences in the modern world have become very advanced, and students need all the information they can learn as early as possible.