My grandmother told me that to be a fully educated person you must have growth in four different areas of knowledge. The first comes from your traditional educational institution, the second from the books you read, the third area of knowledge derives from those you surround yourself with, and the fourth kind of knowledge comes from traveling the world.
My last semester of high school and my first semester of college have been the worst academic semesters for me. I owe my poor grades to a lack of enthusiasm and commitment to my education. After reflecting on my time in traditional educational institutions, I have seen where my mindset was misplaced. I thought that to be a good student you needed to be smart, or just incredibly driven. I took the responsibility away from myself to create the education I desired. Educational institutions can yes be frustrating at times, but if you can look past the slight frustration and boundaries you can unlock more knowledge than you know. These institutions I believe, lay a solid foundation for further knowledge, and their usefulness depend on us the learners.
The second area of knowledge comes from books. My favorite author of all time is Paulo Coelho. He was the first person to ever truly make me believe I was capable of drastic measures. He told me by following my bliss I would reach the destination solely marked for my unique path. His words told me to listen to my instincts, trust the process, and believe in myself. Reading has taught me that every time you pick up a book you can learn something new. I have read children's books with 50 words and I have read books that have won the nobel prizes, with both I have learned something new and become more knowledgeable. Albert Einstein says, "you don't have to know anything except for the location of the library." Books capture timeless knowledge and when you read and in between the lines you can unlock vast amounts of knowledge.
The third area of knowledge comes from those who surround yourself with. Humans are adaptable beings and that has lead to the success of our species; we adapt to our surroundings, environment and people. We cannot shut our brains off, we are constantly learning. That is why to learn valuable things you need to surround yourself with positive people. I have learned that by speaking with a diverse group of people you can take on various pieces of knowledge with various different perspectives. There is a quote “you are who you surround yourself with” and that couldn't be more true.
Last is my favorite source of knowledge, travel. When I thought of traveling before living in Spain I thought of surface level growth. "Travel changes you" people would always say but I couldn't understand why. After my first semester in college change was exactly what I needed. I was going through the motions of my life, at 18 years old in my first semester of college I was bored. I chose to take a semester off of school to regain my passion for life and for learning. I packed my bags and headed to Spain to live with a Spanish family, learn Spanish, and teach their 6 year old daughter English.
In Spain I have learned a lot about myself and the world around me. I have learned to leave my ego at the door. If I let my pride affect my confidence every time I left my apartment I would never leave. Your pride doesn’t want you to feel uncomfortable, but it is through the discomfort that you are growing. I learned the importance of having an open mind. Just because things are different doesn't mean they are wrong. To truly understand something you need to examine it from every angle. I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for all people that are able to speak multiple languages, and even greater respect for all the people trying. Most importantly living abroad has reconnected me with my humanity.
Education is defined as an enlightening experience. I will be a well educated person. Not because I have the best grades, test scores or natural intellectual ability but because I am passionately curious about the world and desire to be enlightened.
