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I sit here studying. I worry about my assignments, the coming tests (especially finals), and ultimately my grades. We (although maybe it's just me?) as students tend to take in information in order to pour it back out. All to often it's about grades and not about actually learning and growing off of information.
I wish I could say I break away from this. That I ignore the grade, and just do it for the learning. I wish I could say this, because I truly value the idea of soaking in knowledge. I love the idea of learning just for the sake of learning. Not for doing well on the next test, and then forgetting all the information after the test is over. But the fact is, I'm competitive and I cannot help myself.
Through being homeschooled I learned to love and appreciate learning in general. I legitimately enjoy learning new things, and I want to keep all the information I can. Yet, a great part of me wants to do as well as I can, and to beat my previous scores. I want to impress the teacher (if possible) or impress myself. And if I can't impress my teacher or myself I simply strive to get the best number and/or letter grade possible. I want to do my best. All to often "doing my best" ends up meaning "get the best grade"... and I'm tired of it.
Shouldn't doing your best mean something more than getting a nice letter grade written on that last biology test? Shouldn't doing your best mean that you are interested? Shouldn't it mean remembering things? Shouldn't learning meaning something more?
I think that learning should mean something more. It should mean something more than studying late to pass tests, working to get the best grade you can, and memorizing facts (or teachers ideas). Learning, according to Webster,
means gaining "knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught." Maybe we should balance out our focus and think a little less about studying or being taught, and think a little more about learning through experience. I plan on balancing a little more this summer, and having more full experiences. Join me?
Great post, Damsel. :) It is always nice to learn things and not just memorise it for grades.
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered what it's like to be homeschooled. Why do people opt for it? It's not so common over here...
Why thank you, Plain Jane. I'm glad you enjoyed the post!
DeleteAs for the homeschooling question, there are many reasons people opt for homeschooling. I think the majority of people who homeschool do it because they see problems with the public school system. But sometimes it has to do with religious choices, or problems their kid may have/had. Honestly... there are just so many reasons people may choose to homeschool!
How about this, would you like a more full answer in the form of a blogpost about the reasons I've enjoyed homeschooling and/or why I hope to homeschool my future children?
That would be really interesting!! Pls do write a post about it. :) Thank you so much for responding to this!! :)
DeleteThis is a great post! I think the same thing everyday... What's the purpose of anything if you don't do it for yourself. It's nice to find someone similar.
ReplyDeletehttp://bloggirl2811.blogspot.in/
I am so glad you enjoyed the post, and that you think like I do! It's hard sometimes to realize that the whole point of anything you're doing is to help improve/do things for yourself. Grades aren't for the teacher... they are ultimately for you. So we ought to relax and enjoy more than just the grades!
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