I have always been a firm believer in alternative methods of learning. Experiences and hands-on work teach us skills and ways of thinking that school may not be able to. That being said, classroom learning, specifically higher education, is not to be under-appreciated.
I am often told that my education is not as valuable as “real world” learning, which I do not agree with in the slightest. It is a different way to learn, yes, but that does not make it less valuable or applicable. It doesn’t make me unable to learn in the “real world.” Rather, it changes the way I interpret my experiences. I have learned how to take what I learn in college and apply that to the “real world.” That’s the point of college– to enrich a person’s mind so they do well in the “real world.”
My views on political factions and ideals are thought to be less important to some people because, “Oh, you’re so young, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” In reality, I do know what I’m talking about because I have actually studied the topics and tried to find evidence-based claims to back up my ideas. I have learned how to think critically, both academically and outside academics.
I know about parenting and child behavior, not from being a parent but from classes. Obviously this is a different way to learn, and I may not know all the same information as someone who is a parent, but I do know something. If I am talking about discipline with a parent, like the idea of time outs, I'll say that yes, it does indeed work. If they haven’t successfully done it with their kid, though, they'll write off my scientific knowledge on behavior with, “Just wait until you have kids, then you’ll learn.” Comments like these are infuriating. Obviously when I have a child I will learn more about childrearing, but that doesn’t discredit what I have learned in college.
I am proud of my education and the work I do to further my schooling. I am sick and tired of people thinking less of what I have to say because I haven’t had the same experiences as them. Just because where I learned something is different doesn’t mean it's less valuable. I have been told by more than one person that I think I’m better than them because I’m in college. Not only is this not true, but it also gives me the impression that I shouldn’t be proud of going to college. Just the fact that I’m in college does not make me think I am better or smarter than someone who didn’t go to college. It does mean that with some topics, I will in fact be more informed and know more than another person, but that doesn’t happen with everything. I am in college to learn and think critically; that doesn’t mean I think I already know everything.
I know that college won’t teach me everything. I know that it will take years of experiences in the “real world” to become a fully informed adult. That doesn’t diminish the formal education I have received.
