In and Out of Class by Eli

In and Out of Class by Eli - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

The diversified curriculum in high school offered a wide-range of lessons. Although a strict order of course requirements directed all students towards a well-rounded education, the thin margin for elective curriculum allowed for specialized education. This specialization is no comparison to that of college level students, or to the individuals in the workforce, out in the real world. Yet, some students shown prominence in specific subjects; from these students two different types of prominence emerged. Those that took advantage of curriculum excelled in Mathematics, the Natural Sciences and in Language Arts. Others matured outside the classroom: some in leadership and in community service involvement, and a small bit in individualized education. The most valuable lesson I have learned from high school came from exposure outside the classroom. I learned to direct my own education and while understanding that the only barrier I would ever face is my submission to an external definition of my needs and aspirations--in other words, I am the only thing holding myself back.

Required reading for my 12th grade English course included texts that were based around existentialism. There were aspects of the doctrine I found to devalue life, but another part of it taught me the ideas of individuality and individualism. Individuality is what signifies each person as unique; individualism is what embraces this idea allowing a person to define and pursue a life distinctively appropriate to them. These concepts led me to understand the importance of school.

School is not meant to serve an exact guideline to each student, school is rather important as a tool to supplement individualized education. School and education is not the same thing. Education is an engagement a person can gain from. Education creates power for individuals to pursue their own aspirations. Thus, education should be undertaken according to the demands of personal aspirations. School, on the other hand, is an institution that helps guide and serve education. But, school is not a categorizer placing students into professions based on their individuality. Thus, school does not decide on the personal aspirations for each student it can only direct education that is needed for already existing professions. If a person seeks education to use in pursuit of personalized goals, then their education must be designed in a way that satisfies the demands of their goals—hence, individualized education. If school does not determine the goals and aspirations of its students, then school cannot design an education plan accordingly to these demands, and school cannot be accepted as a direct guideline to the success of its students' pursuit. However, school may very certainly provide students with some education that can be found useful in an individualized pursuit.

Many students use school to choose the roles they play in life by choosing an education plan and profession to prepare for. These education plans and professions may or may not serve the individual the life that appeals to them, yet they have depended on the school’s plan to find and serve this preferred life for them. A person can only know what their preferred life is by maturation through reflective personal development. The more personal development the more a person can see their distinct individuality. Thus, the reflective person can recognize a role in life that is fit and appealing to them personally. High school taught me this by showing me how a body of students would diversify to excel in a range of different subjects. This diversifying was spontaneous and autonomous among the students. The difference between the lessons I learned and what the rest of the excellent students were gaining from high school is I applied this lesson to life as a whole. Excellent students were able to define their individuality in academic aspects and identify a course of study that most closely matched their personal appeal and aspirations. They might have realized their individuality to the extent of finding preference between the given options of school, but not necessarily to find a completely relevant education plan. Meanwhile, I was able to think beyond the parameters of academics and I reflected on which role or lifestyle matched my individuality best. I would then design my education plan to this preferred life. My discovery was that my preferred lifestyle and the education plan necessary might not yet exist in the established institution. This is where individualism comes into play.

I started at defining the end and then I routed the means to the get there. I started from inside and I worked my way out. First, I discovered my personal goals and aspirations by defining a role and lifestyle that matched my individuality. Then, I designed an individualized education plan that meets the demands of those goals and aspirations. As I progress from high school to college, I use the institution of school as a supplement, not a provider, definer or designer, to my individualized education plan.

The lack of individualism in some students leads to the dependence on school to serve a life that matches their individuality. Since school cannot guarantee this, students are discouraged and disappointed believing they have failed or others have failed them. Reality is that their dependence has allowed an external definition of their goals to direct their lives. Even if they are successful in the professions they enter, they are reaching goals their true individuality never held supreme.