The Means of Education

So a momentous occasion has occurred…I graduated last Sunday with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts! So it might not be a momentous occasion, but I think it’s pretty cool lol

Interestingly I’ve been working on a college education for a fifth of my entire life (funny to think about isn’t it? I’ve only been living for 21 years, and I’ve been in college for 4. Weird…) and it’s kind of weird that this stage is over. I’m probably going into a program to get my Masters in Information and Library Science (so I can keep being a Young Adult Librarian), but I’ll never be an undergrad student again. As I look back its kind of an “already?” and “finally!” all at the same time.

But, also as I look back, I think about what I have learned and what I have accomplished. I think back on all the classes I have taken and I ask myself, what do I remember from them? Answer: not too much. If I looked back over the course work, I’m sure I would remember a whole bunch of stuff, and the next time certain topics are brought up, I’ll already have some basic knowledge on them. But, did I spend the last four years learning stuff I’m just going to forget?

My answer is yes on one hand; but on the other, my college education has taught me things that I would never have learned anywhere else. First, it has let me meet people I never would have met before. I got to hang with awesome teachers, passionate classmates, and interesting people that have very different stories and lives.

Another great thing about my education is that I’ve learned to put forth effort to get something accomplished. I’ve had to learn to be more organized, to procrastinate less (even thought I still struggle with that lol), and keep going even when it is hard. Having goals and projects to work toward has taught me a whole bunch about how I work and how I can work better.

College education is also important because it opens doors to so many opportunities. Think about it. I’m working as the young adult librarian for the Community Library Network at Hayden. I’m sure one of the reasons they’ve kept me around is because I have continued my education. It takes a certain kind of person and attitude to keep going in education, and employers appreciate that.

Finally, even though I’ve forgotten many of the facts that I learned in college, I will never forget how I learned those facts. I will never forget how to research, how to study, how to force myself to absorb something. This is something I will keep for the rest of my life. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means of education.”

For those who are looking into college, I would highly recommend it. Not only because it opens doors, but because it will continue to teach you to learn.