Education is said to have impacted someone when it moves them physically and mentally such that it leads to unexpected discoveries. Sitting on the fence and waiting to be told what to do after having acquired knowledge rather seems absurd due to the fact that the learner is expected to put to use what they have gotten a hold of. It’s rather unfortunate that what I just stated seems to be the order of the day most often due to the kind of system we have now and its perspective it comes with.
For knowledge to be useful to both country and oneself, it ought to be assembled and obtained by the learner (actively) than received hook line and sinker from the tutor or lecturer. Hence it is given the name, “spoon feeding” way of teaching and learning. The error usually begins from the elementary through to secondary and still continues in the tertiary level because the aspect of education which is characterized by the stimulation and provision for exploration or discovery as well as importantly, action is absent. The system rather teaches us to be well guarded by the so called traditional education’s “correct answers”; not knowing that this weighs heavily against the use of creativity and innovation (the essential ingredient for unexpected discoveries).
True meaning is made out of acquired knowledge when we are able to connect what we learn by our thoughts and curiosities and not through the version of the marker or chalk wielded instructor. Ideally, it is the responsibility of the learner to make multiple meanings from their thinking through deliberate efforts by being a critical thinker and doer as knowledge is being imparted. This then allows the learner to extract multiple viewpoints on themes, texts and concepts. This skill allows clear reasoning which supports one’s interpretation of life itself by considering alternate and diverse views.
Humans are biologically creatures of habit and as such do not easily breakaway from a way of life. A learner who is literally raised to sit and prepare for exams only to discard the information stored will find it difficult to change as against the one puts into practice what they have been taught. It is quite clear that useful knowledge comes from experience and experience is earned from working. Blatantly the one literally trained to sit for almost 16 years won’t be able to boast of doing “work” hence not having experience as against the other type of learner who’d have acquired some form of experience from the little work they do every now and then. Should these two class of learners graduate, one will always expect things to be in a certain pattern (like waiting on the government in getting them employed etc) whiles the other category of learner will go out there and create that pattern because they have that useful knowledge which they acquired from and experience they got from “working”. One can say, every graduate sure have something to offer to the nation. They just don’t know what. Like
a friend once said to me, “GPA and grades look good on paper; Translating those practically is what guarantees one a job”
What then can those caught up in this rat race of expecting things to be done in a certain pattern do? They can start of by updating their attitudes to leverage their talents with the time on hands since they can’t go back in time to reverse the errors done. It’s what you do now that counts and can amend your concept of life.
Secondly, a man without a goal or objective is like a blind man gallivanting on a land mine. One needn’t be a rocket scientist to know what is going to happen to such a person. This then throws more light on the reason why everyone ought to have a realistic objective(s) in life. Else our fate will be like that of the blind man walking on a land mine.
Thirdly, society since time immemorial has been bombarded with soaring unemployment percentage figures. What has anyone really done about this? Instead graduands rather add up to this menace than solving it. We ought to find a societal issue that is dear to our hearts and make conscious effort to solve them. Maybe not alone but with other people who share the same philosophy as we do.
Fourth, we should always keep an open mind to issues and suggestions and be ready to even change our initial viewpoint about something we may have spoken or thought otherwise of. It is through this that we’d always be ready to learn something every single day whiles applying on the go.
Fifth, the art of listening more than we speak should be learnt. This allows one to be more attentive than a loose mouth in any situation. The same goes for speaking up and doing less of the listening. One should be able to do this interchangeably.
Sixth, be prepared to go the extra mile in life or in anything one does as well as step out of one’s comfort zone to help others in need.
Seventh, we seem to be forgetting our health not bearing in mind that all this is surely going take a toll on us. Eating right, having enough rest and exercising just to mention a few so as to keep in shape is definitely the right way of living.
Eighth, as famously it has been observed by renowned physicist, Albert Einstein. Only the one who devotes himself to a cause with all his strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason one should be willing to give in their all.
Finally I wish everyone all the best in their quest to being game changers and be an ambassador living in the positive influence got from parents, teachers, friends etc.
