What you learned in school
Elementary geography classes often taught or implied that rivers naturally flow from north to south, possibly influenced by the typical orientation of maps with north at the top. Students developed the misconception that "down" on a map corresponded to water flow direction. Teachers sometimes used phrases like "rivers flow downhill" without clarifying that this meant following gravity and topography, not compass directions. The concept that rivers could flow north was rarely discussed or seemed counterintuitive to students.
What we know now
Elementary geography often taught or implied that rivers naturally flow from north to south, possibly due to the way maps are typically oriented. Students sometimes developed the misconception that "down" on a map meant water flow direction. Rivers actually flow downhill following gravity and topography, regardless of compass direction. The Nile flows north, many Russian rivers flow north to the Arctic Ocean, and rivers flow in all directions depending on the local landscape. Elevation, not cardinal direction, determines river flow.