Education versus Learning

In case you did not realize, education and learning are two different things.  Of course, your goal in college is to earn you degree which implies you are educated.  And being educated usually means you have studied a curriculum that exposed you to various topics.  The degree to which our society considers you to be educated depends on the kinds of diplomas you accumulate.  Right or wrong, this is how our culture tends to operate.  But, how does our culture gage the idea of learning and why is the ability to learn so important?

One purpose of college is for you to become educated.  This might mean you will walk away with an engineering degree in a few years.  Or it may mean you walk away with a degree that is not in engineering.  Perhaps you attempt college, leave and never return.  Or, maybe you take a break for a semester or two and then decide to return.

Education is a Form of Learning

What I would like to point out is that the path you choose to take, whatever it may be, is OK.  Maybe it takes you a little longer to graduate – so what!  Maybe you never graduate – so what!  Earning a degree is not the end all be all.  Rather, your degree is a means to obtain a goal, the goal of creating a foundation for the rest of your life.  I am here to tell you there are hundreds of ways to set yourself up for a promising future, most of them involve learning.  Do not confuse education with the idea of learning.

Education implies a college degree.  It implies you have passed a well-rounded curriculum of courses and that you are knowledgeable in different subjects.  While this is commendable, it is only a portion of what you will learn in your lifetime.  Learning is a concept that is going to be a permanent part of your life.

Your desire and capacity to learn will open opportunities and take you down paths you never imagined.  Life is always about change and change means having to learn new things.   Embrace the idea of learning; it is a timeless skill you will need forever.