How Education Has Shaped Me by Allison

How Education Has Shaped Me by Allison - December 2014 Scholarship Essay

There is no doubt that education is part of the American culture. Generally, to be successful, one must attain a high school diploma, go to college, and get a degree in a specific field of study. But in my opinion, there is not much value to schooling unless education helps us to become better people. I give education the credit for shaping me into the person I am today. Education has increased my critical thinking, helped me to better understand what is around me, and built my wisdom through history and literature.

Firstly, education has taught me the importance of critical thinking, in which judgments are reasoned and well thought out. Critical thinking helps us to recognize problems and find workable ways to solve them; sort through information and pick out what is relevant to a certain situation; comprehend and interpret works of writing; and come to conclusions about my beliefs. Critical thinking is an important skill. Those who use it are not easily be misled by faulty information. They carefully think over information they take in instead of taking it for face value. I believe that education has shaped me into a student with the potential to make new discoveries by thinking outside of black and white. I not only have beliefs and conclusions, but deep reasoning behind it.

Education has also provided me a better understanding of the world around me. Through subjects such as chemistry, biology, and other world sciences, not only do I know the way that things that are, but why they are the way that they are. For example, I am learning about the environment, elements, and how the human body works. This information is useful for my intentions of going into the medical field. By using this knowledge, one can properly respond to problems that may arise. Responding to such problems also use critical thinking as previously described. Education has surely shaped me to become prepared for my future career and contribution to society.

Lastly, education has broadened my wisdom through history and literature. There is so much that can be learned from past events. Using history can help us to avoid making the same mistakes. For example, by learning about America’s history with civil rights, voting rights, and more, I better understand the importance and value of equality. Many things can also be learned through literature. Works of writing are the authors’ ideas and views of life on paper that live on forever, even after the author passes on. Literature builds experience of other cultures: new places, people, and experiences. Without it, we lack insight into the past and present world before us. It enables us to make sense of the world and fellow humans through others’ discoveries, theories, and life philosophies. Without being educated in literature and past events, I would not have the wisdom and understanding of the world that I have today.

In conclusion, all the efforts of teachers, administrators, my parents, and others have helped to give me the tools I need for my future. Education has shaped me into a deep thinker, one who understands how the world functions, and one with wisdom attained from history and literature.