The Value of Learning by Ashley

The Value of Learning by Ashley - March 2018 Scholarship Essay

There is nothing more important than the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom in the lives of the youth. It is through this process that an understanding of the world is formed, and the capability to survive in it is developed. The immense magnitude of the importance of learning is not easily understood by children in second grade, who are generally lacking in the foresight that comes with age. To explain this to such a young and immature audience, one must explain clearly the effects of learning on the aspects of life that children of that age may comprehend.
The most obvious aspect of life that reflects the importance of education is in an individual's capacity to attain well-paid employment. A second-grade child will understand the link between higher education and higher paid careers. An education completed with undergraduate and graduate degrees will generally create a more desirable worker than would a high school diploma. Young children may view this correlation as motivation to maintain high grades in order to attend university.
A second example of the implications of sustained learning that a young child could understand is found in the maintained desire for learning and its impact on a person's well-being. Learning allows people of all ages to feel connected to the world through analysis of it. People may connect with others as well, forming friendships and romances that could last a lifetime. Children of a young age possess a curiosity and desire to learn that must be maintained lest they become robotic adults with no desire for learning and no curious questioning of the world. This example is especially relevant to children of second-grade age because of their aforementioned curiosity, which they would seek to maintain through constant learning and pursuit of knowledge.
In the setting of a discussion with young students, the two points raised would be solid beginnings for discussion about the benefits of lifelong learning. From those roots, discussion would spark, causing all involved to learn yet more about the nature of learning. It is absolutely imperative that all human beings continue to learn and pursue knowledge throughout their lives, whether through higher education or simply a continuous philosophical questioning of the world.