Education is Not Restricted to Classrooms
Since the time the world has realized the importance of education, it has been through great changes.
We would have to agree with John Adams when he wrote:
“There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.”
What he meant is, apart from preparing oneself for earning bread and butter by using their educational degree, one must take-in the knowledge to live decently amongst the people. Hence, it is apparent that you must look beyond the classroom teaching for a new perspective of education.
Have you ever Googled the meaning of education? Well! I did, and here is what it showed.
Definition #2 made me think more and hence led me to write this blog. Education is being defined as “an enlightening experience.” And if you will think you will feel it too.
Let us take an instance; a group of college students from different courses is sitting in a playground during lunch and chatting around. They are discussing how their teachers behave outside the classrooms. During the discussion, a sports enthusiast got to know about a teacher from another department, who used to be a national level athlete. The student got “enlightened” about starting a sports club together, to promote the sports talent in the college.
It might seem like a simple realization, but it has a strong impact. This one realization has — changed the college culture, opened doors for all those who were shy to come forward with their sports talent, brought freshness in the environment, helped in developing physical as well as mental health, induced the quality of taking initiatives. Furthermore, with actual participation in sports, children and staff learned how to work in collaboration, especially when there is so much gap between the two sides (gap refers to generation, age, maturity, and of course, education).
What classroom learning teach you
Courses and syllabus are essential for building up your intellect for the subject of interest. You read books and learn the definitions about things that have already been discovered and tested, like the study of planets, Pythagoras theorem, laws of inertia, etc. Some studies were for general understanding, such as English grammar, while some others are more career-specific, like computer software courses. You read them, understand them, memorize them, pass the exams, and acquire the degree. You have set up a base to earn money in the future. Congrats.
But is that enough? Is that what is required to keep you happy? Think again.
Money is necessary, but it is not everything
Everybody needs money since this is how the world works; you get your required things in exchange for cash. And your well-acquired education will surely earn you that. But some other things are important too, and those can only be gained if you are vigilant enough to experience education outside your classrooms.
What education be like outside the classrooms
Learning is omnipotent — it means it is everywhere. It is not at all fancy to say that the Sun teaches us to be disciplined. I can list a few characteristics of education that can only be found outside your subject classroom:
Discipline
Attending your lectures on time is, of course, the first thing that teaches discipline, but waiting in a queue for your turn in a canteen further inflicts discipline for the rest of your lives.
The freshness of mind and soul
Activities like sports, dancing, crafting, organizing trips, starting school clubs, performing dramas, etc. is needed to spice up your daily routine. It is vital to reduce the pressure of study to get a well earning job. Be a participant; you will never regret it.
Purpose for life
When you choose a particular area for studies, like Management or agriculture, you are aware of your field of work. But when you go on educational tours or take up voluntary work in a farm field, you become doubly sure about seeing yourself doing it for many coming years of your life. Plan more trips, even outside your college administration; ask your elder relatives or friend’s family to give you a glance at a practical world out there.
Social behavior
We, as humans, are blessed with all emotions; love, anger, hatred, sympathy, fear, experimenting, overthinking, underthinking, being judgmental, having a difference of opinions, secretive, caring, etc. And every other being is different. Everyone wants to have pleasant surroundings. And it is we who make the surroundings; hence the onus is on every individual to understand social norms & behavior and act accordingly. The team activities like event organization, conducting quiz, managing sports events, volunteering college’s official visits, is all that you can look forward to becoming an active member of the society around you.
During these events, you may experience some conflicts, an extra rush of passion, big misunderstanding, a lot of appreciation, too much excitement, and a whole pandora box of unexpected situations. And hence, it is the best way to learn the ins and outs of the social web.
Personality that matters
When you open up with your thoughts and opinions on matters other than the academics, you form a unique personal character. In the process of getting mature with age and experience, these personality traits will help you in making the right decisions.
You can start building up your personality in school/college from the very first day by taking active part in induction programmes, interacting with teachers and seniors, exploring about college by questioning or by self-test, be a part of every feasible competition or class assignment without the fear of getting failed, do not make opinions based on hearsay, and be always ready to learn.
Broad understanding of the present and the future
By meeting people and participating in various events, with 100 percent attention, you will acquire a clearer picture of the ongoing career and social trends. For instance, attending a college seminar and listening to the guest speaker who is way ahead of you in knowledge and experience may give you an insight into the pre-requites of achieving success.
You need to come out of your protective shell and be fearless in experiencing the things which you haven’t experienced before. That is why you have chosen to go to college rather than having a home-school education. Understand the importance of out-of-the-classroom learning that may come in the form of sports, practical knowledge, initiative events, organizing activities, seminars, presentations, representations, or just informal group discussions.
Be a smart consumer of education and learning!