Art of Learning

Over my time in school I have been taught everything from quantum physics to how to do a lay-up in basket ball to the French revolution to how to write a sonnet properly.

It has taught me a lot of useful knowledge and in some cases such as how to do long division and how to make scones.

And it has also taught me some not so useful knowledge like random Latin phrases, Nec tecum possum vivere nec sine te, and how columbus clouds become those types of clouds.

But the most useful thing that any school can teach you is how to learn.

It is very common that over your life the tings that you learn in school you will forget and you will teach your self 80% of what you will know.

This is normal but if your school doesn’t teach you how to learn by your self then the teachers haven’t done a very good job.

My teachers have taught me how to learn on my own, they have given me a good way to learn on my own and most importantly they have given me a want or more specifically a need to learn more.

These three factors can make you in to a better and more rounded individual because you will have the knowledge that you need to have in life but you would have learn it on your own so you have the advantage because you would have learnt it from your mistakes not from someone else’s.

I’m not saying that being taught is a bad thing; for example even though I will be learning to drive soon and I have been taught in theory how to do it I will still need a teacher to help me learn properly.

Another good example of this was yesterday at work, I was waitressing as normal and got in to a conversation with one of my colleagues about the fact after almost a year of working there I didn’t know how to use the coffee machine.

I had seen people use it every time I had worked there but I’d never been taught properly. My colleague very nicely showed me how to do it and even though this was my first time doing it I knew how to do it because I had learnt it my own but her help was much needed.

This had lead me to think of all the things that I have taught myself over the years but over all the things that I have learnt I always need some base to work with.

I wouldn’t know how to dance if it wasn’t for my old ballet teacher.

I wouldn’t know how to write a sonnet if it wasn’t for my English teacher.

I wouldn’t know how to balance equations if it wasn't for my sister.

We all need some form of teaching in life but I think in life we will all be finely educated if we are taught to teach ourselves.