As I was taking a test this morning for my English Literature class, I realized many things. I stayed up all night studying for this test then even woke up early to study even more. I got to class and began my test. As I was taking this test I realized that nothing I learned while studying was even on the test. The knowledge I gained, and intelligence I have, was not what was being tested. But my test taking skills were being tested. With multiple choice answers being "a & b", "b & c", "all of the above" and/or "none of the above", I realized that this test was draining me. I learned so much while studying, yet I couldn't explain on the test what I knew because all that was being asked were all trick questions. It was then that I quickly finished as best I could, then got up and walked out of the class as I thought "this test does not define my intelligence!"
So what is intelligence? What is knowledge? Does a degree prove intelligence? What are the benefits of an education? Does 4.0 GPA really mean you're going to be successful in life? Do any of these things guarantee you won't have to have a night job one day?
This blog is being written with the job I'm applying for in mind. And as I began to apply, I realize that nothing the professors teach me about T.S. Elliot will prove how smart I really am. But how I take what they teach me and how I apply it, to any aspect of my life, is what makes me smart... because any knowledge is useful knowledge, depending on your perspective.
So sitting in what seems like a useless classroom can teach you a lot. There are 3 main things you can learn in the classroom that have nothing to do with the message the professor is actually trying to convey.
1. You can learn about the way people communicate. If you pay attention to your professor. Without even realizing it, you may be analyzing the way they communicate. They may be standing, pacing back and forth, or sitting in a chair. And while they are talking, you may even find yourself not listening to what they say, but how they say it. The most successful professors communicate in a way that the students hear what is being said, and not how they are saying it. Unsuccessful professors speak where you are more focused on the professor themselves, rather than what is being said.
2. You can learn about yourself. After you hear or do not hear what the professor is saying, you can think to yourself "Am I really meant to be in this class." The average college student in bound to change their major at least once in their lifetime, and while being in a class that you may think is useless you may actually learn something. You learn that you do not like this class. You can learn that you love it. But most of all, you can learn that what you're actually learning in the class has nothing to do with what you're going to need to know in this lifetime.
3. You can the truthful reality of life. We learn through experiences. We learn through interactions with people and we love recalling on the past good (and bad) times we've had. When we listen to others, we also learn of theirs and incorporate that knowledge with ours. It's so true that you can learn in class, you will learn, whether you like it or not. But, there's only one truth that matters when you die. Whether you know this truth, and how you apply it is the sole base of life. This... you can take and interpret in your own way.
