subject: What Is The Best Approach To Education In Today's World? [print this page] How do we develop the necessary discipline to honestly go after the education we require for our chosen field in the best and most efficient way?
Have you ever been asked for your degree, if you have one? How do we begin to evaluate the need for learning in relation to our chosen field for our life's career?
Is the social aspect of a university important enough to compensate for the often enormous waste of time in unnecessary activities and courses at the age when we are best equipped to learn?
These questions have taxed me for a long time. With today's emphasis on PhDs as a minimum requirement for even a modest academic post it seems to me that maybe we are getting it all wrong. There is often a great deal of pressure in universities to continue through to at least a PhD.
I know people who look like they are going to have to be students well into their 30s in order to accumulate the necessary requirements for the workplace. Is this reasonable? Is this a good thing?
I will try to answer some of the questions I have posed. This is where it gets tough because it is necessary to talk generally and, of course, there is no such thing as a general blanket of information that will work and/or apply to all.
For me the first and probably the most difficult undertaking is to find a way to exercise the necessary discipline to actually learn at the fastest pace possible what one really needs to know and to absorb.
When we leave high school we are leaving the world where we are daily given homework and frequently examinations to test our progress. To progress from there to the point where we can have the necessary stimulus and dedication to work in a concentrated and efficient manner is not all that easy.
However, with all the information that is available to us so easily online I am beginning to question whether or not the university system is keeping up with the needs of today's youth and their education.
When considering how expensive a university education is, particularly for as many years as it will require to get a PhD, would it not be more efficient to concentrate on what one really needs to know and learn by developing a personal discipline and dedication. Even hiring personal tutors for what might be needed surely is less expensive in the long run than so many years of university fees and expenses.
I am aware that all of this means that the high school graduate knows what goals he has and how to reach them. This certainly is not always the case, but when a direction is known and determined, would it not be more sensible to set a goal, at least on an annual basis, so that getting prepared for a life's work will come more quickly, more specifically and with less waste of time, effort, talent and money.
Naturally there must be social outlets, friends, diversions and all those things. It is a necessary part of growing up.
However, if one does know what is wanted from a career point of view, heading directly there, without distractions, via online information and instruction available, personal tutoring which will do away with wasted time and effort which is an inherent part of classroom education must surely be an option.
This way the youth of today can be uniquely fitted to practice and excel in their chosen profession at a much earlier age. Beginning a career in the early 20s at the latest has so many advantages in today's marketplace.
There are bound to be situations where this sort of approach is not practical, particularly when discovering one's niche in life comes later rather than sooner.
But, I do feel that a good look on an individual basis at the education system post high school is a very sensible and practical way to plan one's education and prepare for a career in which it is possible to truly progress and get to the top of the tree.
Goal setting, personal discipline, taking advantage of the age at which one learns best and quickest and accepting that the world is getting more and more competitive in most fields of endeavor are surely concepts and tools which will help build a life of joy and happiness as well as personal success.
Personally I have seen too many young people who look back at their university days and remember the social joys but seriously regret the amount of time and money wasted when they realize what their career really needs and demands.
Let's break out and individually assess what we and/or our children actually can profit most from in this area of life that usually includes leaving home, having to self motivate and having to find a personal discipline which can only come from inside in the final analysis.
