#Experience by Isis

#Experience by Isis - April 2018 Scholarship Essay

Education is a weird concept. It is something embedded into our society, our everyday values, and our values. We are told by our parents and other adults that no one can take your education away from you, and that is the reason it is so important. We are judged by the level of our education, or the kinds of grades we get. If your grades are too low, then you're an idiot and people make fun of you. If your grades are too high, then people become jealous of you and talk about you behind your back. One can also be judged by the type of education they get. This is one of the reasons most people borrow more money that they could ever pay back just to go to a university with a well known name or high popularity. We have come to believe that the education we receive directly correlates to the kind of career and futures we will have, as if a degree will guarantee a successful and well paying job.

Understand, I am not trying to look down on education and the institutions behind it. I just believe that we are thinking about it the wrong way. Many students believe that they will never use the information they are studying in the real world, and most of the time they're right. However, that is not what we should be taking out of the classroom.

Beyond the math problems we have to solve and the novels that a majority of people pretend to read, the education structures we are enrolled in gives us a certain involvement with the world around us. We are able to socialize with a variety of people, and be exposed to a multitude of ideas and perspectives. The education system is essentially the silk road of the modern world. This interaction the education system provides slowly changes a person, from their thoughts, to their dialogue, to their actions, and to their perspectives.

When one says that getting an education will determine one's future, the statement is true. It is not due to the fact that having higher education will get you a better or higher paying job, however. It is due to the fact that one can be influenced by their education. For example, someone can take a government class and aspire to become a Senator. That person's life was changed through education. One learns more about themselves when they are exposed to an assortment of pathways and lifestyles.

Education is an experience, not just some teacher lecturing to a room full of students. For this reason, the idea of college fascinates me. College students are surrounded by people from all around the world. They are able to take the kinds of classes that want and learn about the topics that they care about. They can essentially shape their upbringing and how they perceive the world. These decisions will also influence the people that they will meet and the kind of interactions one can have. Every aspect of one's life can be changed with an education.

The person that you are now may not be the same person you will know once you graduate from high school, and more importantly, college. The world will always have an influence on the people living in it. At least with an education, the influence it has on you is more guided. The education you receive will open the doors to numerous career opportunities, as well as to the doors of your own character.