Learning can be a journey and adventure and a challenge. One way to overcome the challenge of not knowing something is to put in extra work. There are some things in life that can only be learned through practice. We all know this is a fact, but most of us still don't always put forth the effort which we should towards learning. Sometimes all that separates an A student from a C student is the effort they put in. Although it is not a surprise, we forget that we are all born a blank slate. We are all born with equal intelligence, which is almost none. What we do once we are born is what defines us as a human being. Some people argue that they are limited by external factors, but these things do not truly restrict the mind. Bill Gates never finished college, many successful people I know attended LCC for their first year. My aunt never attended college but she has become a successful businesswoman. Our effort is what defines our mind and therefore our life.
"Seize the Day" is a phrase commonly known by most Americans, but few of us live by this phrase, me included. I do not seize every day, and I fear I will come to regret that later in life. My fear is we will all look back and wish we had done more. Doing more starts with learning more, knowledge is power, power is wealth, wealth is happiness. Wealth is not defined purely in a monetary sense, but as in being surrounded by people you love. Make sure you live every day to its fullest, and you will have nothing to regret.
When asked to give a piece of advice about learning, I asked myself where I learned the most. I believe there are two components to learning: classroom learning and life learning. I have visited some of the leading colleges in the world and they all say the same surprising phrase: There is no point in learning if you do not use your skills to help others. Notre Dame has the #1 business school in the nation and their department chair says that if his students do not use what they learned to improve society, then he has failed. Michigan Engineering, the #1 public engineering school in the nation, encourages their students to research more than they sit in class. They spent $1.3 billion dollars last year in student research. These universities encourage practical knowledge as much as they promote conventional learning.
Why do the top schools in the world all say this? Well, I think our society has come to respect someone who is book smart and life smart. We must learn in the classroom and learn from what we see in the world. I feel this blog allowed me to explore how i learn in and out of the classroom, which will help me as I continue my education.
Mission statements of several leading universities
http://accreditation.umich.edu/mission/
http://www.nd.edu/about/mission-statement/
http://www.harvard.edu/faqs/mission-statement
"Seize the Day" is a phrase commonly known by most Americans, but few of us live by this phrase, me included. I do not seize every day, and I fear I will come to regret that later in life. My fear is we will all look back and wish we had done more. Doing more starts with learning more, knowledge is power, power is wealth, wealth is happiness. Wealth is not defined purely in a monetary sense, but as in being surrounded by people you love. Make sure you live every day to its fullest, and you will have nothing to regret.
When asked to give a piece of advice about learning, I asked myself where I learned the most. I believe there are two components to learning: classroom learning and life learning. I have visited some of the leading colleges in the world and they all say the same surprising phrase: There is no point in learning if you do not use your skills to help others. Notre Dame has the #1 business school in the nation and their department chair says that if his students do not use what they learned to improve society, then he has failed. Michigan Engineering, the #1 public engineering school in the nation, encourages their students to research more than they sit in class. They spent $1.3 billion dollars last year in student research. These universities encourage practical knowledge as much as they promote conventional learning.
Why do the top schools in the world all say this? Well, I think our society has come to respect someone who is book smart and life smart. We must learn in the classroom and learn from what we see in the world. I feel this blog allowed me to explore how i learn in and out of the classroom, which will help me as I continue my education.
Mission statements of several leading universities
http://accreditation.umich.edu/mission/
http://www.nd.edu/about/mission-statement/
http://www.harvard.edu/faqs/mission-statement