The Purpose of Education by Jordan

The Purpose of Education by Jordan - April 2015 Scholarship Essay

Although education is often seen as a path towards a first job, I believe that the best way to move forward in life is to develop short term goals in tandem with long term vision. Thus, education isn’t job preparation; it’s life preparation.

In my case, my short term plan is to attain a degree in finance from NYU Stern and then begin a career on Wall Street. As seen conventionally, my “education” will give me the coursework and degree to make this possible. However, it would be foolish of me to treat my education as so limited.

My long term vision will be equally influenced by my education, although in a less predictable way. At present, I see myself embracing my entrepreneurial tendencies once I have raised enough capital from my initial job to cover my college debts securely. I can envision using contrarian investing strategies based upon my own research – perhaps based upon U.S. customs shipping records – as a method to manage my portfolio, for day trading, or for establishing or taking part in a start-up company. The less talked-about aspects of education will give me the tools I shall need.

This will be found in places beyond the classroom or library. I will learn more and broader ideas from my cohorts than from my teachers. A college education will allow me to meet diverse yet like-minded, entrepreneurially-driven people. Through the varying perspectives that I encounter, through the connections I establish, and through what I learn about myself as I grow in an academic environment, my long-term vision will be guided in ways I cannot now imagine.

I know this to be true, for I have experienced this myself. This past year, I took a deferral of admission. During this time, I met with and interviewed numerous finance professionals, from financial advisors to managing directs from companies of all sizes and styles, ranging from eighteen billion dollar local firms to internationally renowned companies like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Edward Jones. I have also witnessed the development and growth of an innovative international business model through an internship and mentor-ship with the CEO of Selective College Consulting, which has now expanded into University Consultants of America. I have studied on my own, learning about contrarian investing, technical and fundamental analyses, organizational structure, sales psychology, marketing, and more. However, most significantly, I learned that education occurs beyond lectures and syllabi. I learned how to create opportunities for advancement and knowledge rather than wait passively. In this sense, I discovered that the true value of education is to create self-sufficiency and adaptability, to find success through knowledge acquired through a prescribed path or through one’s own ingenuity.

Education is thus more dynamic than it may seem. Education in the short term can be used to pursue an occupation, but beyond that it can be used simply to learn how to learn. Education can form your outlooks and perceptions on success in ways just as useful as the facts and figures needed to learn a traditional occupation. To explore yourself and your goals in a more in-depth and personal level allows for success beyond the ordinary.