What Did I Learn?

Students are an interesting sort of people. Regardless of age, race, or nationality they attend post-secondary with the goal of learning. However, most students never think about what it is they are actually learning.

This is interesting to me because I find myself in a very interesting position within the post-secondary career track. I am twenty-seven, I (at the most basic level) remember the eighties, and tend to internalize my experiences for later connections.

Most of the students I have had the pleasure (and displeasure in one particular case) are either older or younger than I am. This places me in a very strange place in my academic life, as I get older references made by older instructors, yet find myself understanding the younger crowds interpretations of what learning is supposed to be.

I have no idea what I will major in (either English or Psychology), however I do know what I am learning. Something the younger crowd seems to not understand. Examples of certain things that are being learned are as follows:

1) When a presentation is supposed to be made to the class by a student, it is to build confidence, and teach a student that talking to thirty other people who are facing you is just like having a conversation, only you are having this conversation with thirty other people.

2) Showing up to class teaches students how to be punctual. If you are unreliable in something you are paying for, how can you possibly be successful in something which you will make money in?

3) Socialization is something that should be developed already, however, many students miss this point in Elementary and High schools. Being enrolled in post-secondary is simply a reinforcement of these skills, however they are slightly more professional than say working in a kitchen.

4) English classes are a good thing. People outside of English Majors tend to view English majors as "useless". Guess what, working in any country that is pre-dominantly English speaking (and yes, this includes Hard Science Majors as well), you will have to know the difference between "then" and "than". Furthermore, English teaches you how to edit written work (whether academic or otherwise), make connections through analysis, and how to communicate ideas on paper.

5) How to budget money. This comes as a learning lesson from the Government, not post-secondary, as they seem to never give you enough cash for a semester.