Education is about more than which school you attend and what major you choose. Education is about the learning process and how to make the most out of the time you devote to the world of education. While you should never stop learning, most people devote the early years of their life to education and the later years to professional pursuit. It is important to understand that knowledge is not simply gained through the teacher-student connection. In fact very little of your learning will come directly from a teacher. Learning to teach yourself is one of the most important skills that you can develop early on in life. It will allow you to explore the things that interest you and make the most out of the educational opportunities that you come across.
You have an opportunity which was not available to any generation that came before you. All of the knowledge that humans have collectively learned throughout history is being compiled on the internet where it can be accessed by anyone. The learnings of ancient greek philosophers can be read by a high school student on the weekend. This tool allows you the opportunity to fully pursue any subject that interests you when you come across it.
There are many different ways to explore the subjects that you find intriguing and you should develop one that works well for you as you continue to gain experience. For those just starting out one of the easiest methods is to simply ask a question which occurs to you. “Who is the earliest known Egyptian Pharaoh?” will send you on an adventure into the past. Once you feel as though you have adequately answered that question you can come up with another. You will often find that you will develop more and more questions the more you learn and it is okay to deviate from your original path.
Education should be interesting! Learn about things that make you excited. The more you learn about things you enjoy the more you will appreciate the subjects that at first seemed a bit dull and unuseful. Often in school, as children, we will become bored with the material and translate that into a dislike of the educational process. This is simply because our teachers were unable to inspire the interest required to make learning exciting. Make sure that you have fun while you are learning and you will benefit for the rest of your life.
Everyone is in the same boat. You have the authority and ability to discover new information for yourself. The great philosophers and scientists throughout history started in exactly the same place you did and simply dove into the subjects they found interesting. You have everything required in order to make the informational leaps that will benefit future generations as long as you have the courage to take chances and follow your interests. Here are two books that do a great job of teaching you how to learn:
The 4-Hour Chef
Learning How to Learn
