As evidenced in a few of my recent blog posts, I've taken a serious interest in becoming an autodidact. My recent topics of self-study include politics, the American revolution, and philosophy, among other things. I recently got a whole heap of books for Christmas, and I've been working through them whenever I can snag a break from my textbooks.
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| Also included in this stack is a book about a blogger from Baghdad (a study of politics and bloggers), an autobiography by Rainn Wilson (a study of humor and success), and a couple of Star Wars books (a study of character development and of Shared Universes). |
Anyway, I enjoy learning about this stuff far more than I enjoy any of my current University course work.
I couldn't figure out why.
My original theory was that I enjoy choosing what I learn about more than being told what I should learn about. However, I soon squashed that theory. After all, didn't I choose this University? Didn't I choose my own major? Don't I get to select my own classes? I mean, I'm in American Folklore right now. Shouldn't I be enjoying that?
I wrestled with this for a while. Finally, I came upon a conclusion.
I hate education because the system doesn't care about what I know. It punishes me for what I don't know.
I want to use an American Revolution history class as an example. I haven't taken one of these in a while, but my concerns with this hypothetical course are universal across every class I have ever taken.
When I study the revolution on my own, I am only concerned with what I personally retain. I have the option to remember details personally relevant to me, and forget the rest (like specific dates). I am not held accountable for what I don't later recall, but I feel motivated because I have broadened my mind with the details I do recall.
When I study the revolution in class, I am not satisfied with what I personally retain. No amount of attention or studying is going to fully prepare me for every single detail a future test might ask of me. When I take a test about what we've studied, I have no time to feel proud of the answers I know because I am sweating over the answers I don't know. Every mistake costs me a point, but I'm not rewarded for the correct answers I give. All I know is that my 100% is slowly bleeding from the mouth with every incorrect pencil stroke.
You may disagree with me, but let me give you one more example why I think education is more caustic than learning.
I remember at least two lectures in my college career when my professor mentioned something I wanted to learn more about right then right there. I pulled out my internet-capable devices and looked up the relevant information.
After a few moments of personalized research, I was chastised in front of the entire class for not paying attention.
It didn't matter to the professor that I was interested in what they were teaching. It didn't matter that I was trying to engage in a learning process appealing to me. All they knew is that I wasn't desperately trying to memorize their lectures.
So I stand. What say ye? Be sure to comment below!
I couldn't figure out why.
My original theory was that I enjoy choosing what I learn about more than being told what I should learn about. However, I soon squashed that theory. After all, didn't I choose this University? Didn't I choose my own major? Don't I get to select my own classes? I mean, I'm in American Folklore right now. Shouldn't I be enjoying that?
I wrestled with this for a while. Finally, I came upon a conclusion.
I hate education because the system doesn't care about what I know. It punishes me for what I don't know.
I want to use an American Revolution history class as an example. I haven't taken one of these in a while, but my concerns with this hypothetical course are universal across every class I have ever taken.
When I study the revolution on my own, I am only concerned with what I personally retain. I have the option to remember details personally relevant to me, and forget the rest (like specific dates). I am not held accountable for what I don't later recall, but I feel motivated because I have broadened my mind with the details I do recall.
When I study the revolution in class, I am not satisfied with what I personally retain. No amount of attention or studying is going to fully prepare me for every single detail a future test might ask of me. When I take a test about what we've studied, I have no time to feel proud of the answers I know because I am sweating over the answers I don't know. Every mistake costs me a point, but I'm not rewarded for the correct answers I give. All I know is that my 100% is slowly bleeding from the mouth with every incorrect pencil stroke.
You may disagree with me, but let me give you one more example why I think education is more caustic than learning.
I remember at least two lectures in my college career when my professor mentioned something I wanted to learn more about right then right there. I pulled out my internet-capable devices and looked up the relevant information.
After a few moments of personalized research, I was chastised in front of the entire class for not paying attention.
It didn't matter to the professor that I was interested in what they were teaching. It didn't matter that I was trying to engage in a learning process appealing to me. All they knew is that I wasn't desperately trying to memorize their lectures.
So I stand. What say ye? Be sure to comment below!
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