“You learn something new every day.”
Isn’t that a phrase you’ve often heard, both in sarcasm and in belief? No matter the case, it’s true. Whether you believe that what you learned was worth the time or effort, if you’ll likely forget the next day, is based on your opinion. By looking at something called the “Forgetting Curve” we can see the trends show that the chances of you remembering something you were taught only 30 days after that hour lesson is 1-3 per cent.
How confident does that make you in your abilities? Not much? I’m with you there. I’m no longer the “mark-stresser” that I used to be but I do want to do well. I’ve always valued individual effort and work-ethic above that (hopefully) two-digit number. The education system does attempt to teach us this but sometimes the approach isn’t explicit enough to catch on.
So why learn? Why spend six hours a day in school, then only to go home and do the work required to retain that knowledge, if we’re going to forget it anyways? Why work towards getting a piece of paper indicating some level of knowledge when your experience is really what counts in the long run? Why play the system and do the standard tests if they don’t test true intelligence?
We’ve all heard these questions and likely wondered a couple of these “whys” ourselves, but where are the answers? And if there are none, then what’s to disprove the above analogy? Why are the tests so focused in on specific skills and how is success measured by them?
And that brings us back to the ever-present question of what defines “best?”
However, work ethic is one of the things that school does teach. Schools typically reward work ethic and disciplines lack of effort. Along the way we must strive to always do our best, no matter what people say we can or cannot do. Oddly enough, it can be just as limiting to be known as a weaker student as the top student. When people tell you, you can’t do something, you have to take it and show them why they’re wrong. If people expect things of you, it’s ultimately up to you to live up to whatever expectations are set. Just like a number does not define you, neither do their words.
While learning is as individual as our fingerprints and not always reflected in the general school system, it is reflected in how one approaches it. You may never use that chemistry theorem or math law again in your life but working hard until you figure out what small part you may enjoy, is definitely worth your time. Who knows, you could be the next Pythagoras or Einstein if given the right opportunities.
This past summer, my parents forced me to take physics in summer school because they understood how three sciences could be beneficial. I was not pleased in the slightest. In fact, it was the last thing I wanted to do with my July. But now, coming into Grade 11, I can see the connections between everything and how behind I would’ve been if I had just stayed inside on my computer the whole day.
So whether you’re a lion, a tiger or a bear (oh my!) in our “tree-climbing” society, learning is invaluable to accomplishing every dream you might one day have. So don’t let fear of anything prevent you from trying new things and look for that one part you find interesting. In everything, develop your skills because in our day and age with the world at our fingertips, the possibilities are endless. It doesn’t matter if you learn to prove a point because you have to or to change the world; find a way to do it for yourself. Your future self will thank you for the decisions you make now and as you take steps further in your academic and eventually real career; the consequences (good or bad) will be yours.
As Usher once said, “Success is about dedication. You may not be where you want to be or do what you want to do when you’re on the journey. But you’ve got to be willing to have vision and foresight that leads you to an incredible end.” So find your reason to learn and stick with it because the day you stop learning, is the day you remain in the past.