The Video Game by Catherine

The Video Game by Catherine - March 2018 Scholarship Essay

“But why does learning this even matter? It’s not even important!” my eight year old brother shouts, lamenting over his math homework. I sigh and pat his back. “It is important. What you learn now will help when you learn math in middle school, in high school; even college,” I try explaining. “And that applies to every subject, too, you know.” He just rolls his eyes and calls mom over to help. If I could have this stubborn second grader’s undivided attention for a whole two minutes, I would explain to him why what he’s learning right now will help him later. More importantly, I would help him understand how essential continued learning is. I should compare it to a video game, I think, maybe that’ll make more sense to him.
I’d explain how continuing his education would be like leveling up in his favorite video game. Not only do the levels keep getting harder and more intense, but they also become more crucial. Then, the more levels you complete, the closer to your goal you get--whether it’s winning the game or getting the degree. In addition to difficulty though, with every level, you get new powers. It might be strength or intelligence; it might be agility or insight to how the world works. These powers allow you to complete the levels faster, gain more points, and be a competitive player. I’d explain how, in learning, this would correspond to thinking critically, gaining more knowledge and becoming a well-informed human being.
In those two minutes, I would make sure my brother understands these skills are acquired by continued learning throughout his entire life. I’d tell him it can be accomplished by caring about learning in high school and making it the goal in college. Pursuing knowledge and sharpening his mind outside of any sort of institution is also essential, I’d have to add. It’s like how, even after you’ve completed the game, you keep going back through the levels, trying to improve your score. The better your score, the better the player and the more knowledge, the better understanding of the world. I would end my spiel telling him that the rewards of continued learning are much sweeter than the television screen saying “Victory”. This temporary excitement will in no way compare to the satisfaction of contributing his knowledge and expertise to society in order to do his part in making the world a better place, which is the most important--albeit hidden--reason for continued learning.