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Education is a lifelong process It's my last semester of school. I have no plans for a postgraduate degree. By April I will have handed in my final year project and be sitting in an examination hall, covering up pieces of foolscap with as much ink as I can. Somewhere in July, they'll put a mortar board on my head and give me a piece of paper that says something like, "It's okay. You've killed enough trees in your four years here. From now on, this is only a piece of paper you'll need. Oh, and congratulations." It's a comforting thought. |
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Not to seem indifferent about the 16 years of schooling I've received so far, but if there's anything that all this time has taught me, it's that education is something that doesn't stop when you finish school. It's actually more of a lifelong process. Mark Twain's attitude towards class comes to mind: "I never let my schooling get in the way of my education." For too long we've equated schooling with our education. But I've since realised that going through university isn't just about equipping yourself with skills and knowledge for a job. It's also about learning to empathise with people. To chase your dreams and realise your true potential. Or how to juggle 20 different tasks in a day and squeeze in some sleep. Some things just aren't in our syllabus. University has been the most enriching time of my life because I've not looked at it with a mercenary attitude. I've taken modules I found rewarding regardless of the work involved. And I've set time aside to widen my horizons, sometimes at the expense of my studies. Facts and theories get us through examinations, but life is a whole different kettle of fish. Which is not to say that school was a sham, because it wasn't. Going through school has put in front of me more questions than I have answers to. And it's put in me the curiosity to find answers to those questions. Questions like "Who am I?" and "What have I been put on this Earth to do?" I may take forever to answer. But I'm willing to go the distance. And when I'm old enough to be called "Grandpa", I hope that I still have the same zest for learning as I do now. And I know that by then, I will have gained immeasurably by what I have learnt. And perhaps by then, I will have put it to some better use than self-edification. So in the end, it's not a case of never letting "my schooling get in the way of my education". Instead, I've found that it's more of a case of making my schooling a part of my education. It's about making life my classroom. By: Jared Tham. Published: Nanyang Chronicle, Jan 6 2003 |