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Sunday, May 8, 2011

I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma. ~Eartha Kitt

Last Blog of senior year…

I have learned a lot about myself this year. I have learned that there are things that I feel strongly about and things I wish I could feel more strongly about. Education is one thing that I feel strongly about. Being inspired by a teacher to divulge into a subject is exhilarating, talking to your friends about the meaning of life is mind boggling, and consuming yourself with a good book is always interesting. However, there are other aspects of school that are just as imperative to ones development. For example, extra curricular activities are great ways to open your mind to new things, meet and interact with new people, and work your mind in a different way.

Reflecting back on high school, there are a lot of things that initially I was hesitant to try. Luckily, with the push of my parents and encouragement from my friends I tried a ton of different things in high school and as a result, I have a lot of fond memories.

Looking back on my high school experience, I feel a lot of joy. I worked hard in school, got involved in an amazing club, played basketball, and built relationships with people who I will be friends with long after high school is over. Sure, there were times when I wished I didn’t have to do my homework or dreaded going to a class to take a test I wasn’t prepared for, but I approached high school with the mindset that if i preformed well in the classroom, I would have opportunities outside of the classroom to have a lot of fun.

The balance that I was able to keep between academics, athletics, and other clubs and activities allowed me to have four amazing high school years. Some people have too much “fun” in high school and some people spend too much time on their academics to really enjoy their life in high school. I will strive to maintain this same balance in college. School will be even more intense at the University of Chicago but there will also be so many opportunities to get involved with the school and with the city of Chicago.

I have learned that the classroom is not the only place to learn.

Through analyzing education this year on this blog I have discovered that learning is not just about getting a good grade, it is about enriching your life. I also realized that learning happens everywhere, be it in a traditional classroom, watching TV, going out with friends, or taking a moment to listen to your parents. These moments will teach and prepare you for almost anything that you will ever experience in life (comment if you have a counter argument). So why do people, especially teenagers, write off education?

I hope to never lose my passion for learning and understanding the world and people around me. I shall leave you all with this final quote,

The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men. ~Bill Beattie

Until next time...

Ali

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for your tremendous insights, Ali. Without question, each has influenced my thinking and this one is no different.

    One critical thought in this post is "I have learned that the classroom is not the only place to learn." You've come to grasp clearly the difference between schooling and learning. Knowing this, you'll never lose that passion for learning you mentioned.

    May the next phase of your journey be an exceptional one and your voice continue to influence education.

    ReplyDelete