<p>I was in my core class today and we were discussing the benefit of education. She made some comments about capitalism (we're discussing Marxism and seguing into Gandhi) and then went into a discussion that ultimately ended in this question:</p>
<p>"How many of you are here not just because you want a better job, but because you want to learn?"</p>
<p>No one, save me, in a 20-person class raised their hand. I was quite frankly shocked -- I know that UCSC is not the acme of academics, but I thought that there would be at least one other person there who would look into that.</p>
<p>In my lit class, we have a lot of reading. It can be overwhelming sometimes, but this past week it was just a couple of essays amounting to about 10 reader-pages of reading. While I realize that not everyone does the reading, it was a 200+ person lecture, and only 1 out of every 10 people he called on could say anything about the reading, and this a mere week after a lecture regarding the importance of investing yourself in your education and getting the most out of it, about how the class was a conversation that could only occur if everyone participated, etc. </p>
<p>I am disheartened. I've been thinking about transferring (even before this), and I told my SO this. His response is that I'm expecting too much out of college kids, especially in an intro-level class, and that it's not just UCSC that's like this. I have no real evidence to go on (my summer college experiences don't reflect norms by any means), but I'd dearly like to hope that this isn't the case.</p>
<p>So how is the 'love of learning' factor at your college?</p>
<p>I'm still only a senior in high school, but I can tell you that I'm definitely in it for the learning. I actually have no real life or career goals: there's no job I want to do or see myself doing. I just want to know things because I find that fun.
Most of the people I know from my high school are like this too. Maybe you just know some weird people.</p>
<p>I'm glad for you. Is it a public or private? And maybe that's just a Canada thing? :P</p>
<p>I don't seem to have been around anyone who's in it for the sake of just learning, and I am really sad for that. I'm hoping that there's somewhere else where I might find a group of people more like that than those here.</p>
<p>I've always been a fan of education, but not just for the sake of learning. I go to school to learn so that I can go out in the world and be a productive member of society (mechanical engineering major). Why would I go and sit in classes for many hours per day only to have to come home at night and do more work for many hours just for the sake of gaining knowledge? If I am going to be doing all of that work, and paying for it (tuition) I want get something out of it. My primary goal for going to college is to get a good job and make a career out of it. If I wanted to simply learn, I can do that without enrolling in college.</p>
<p>but do you enjoy the learning is his question. Sure we could all lie around and play video games, but for many of us it's rewarding to have learned something, regardless of the practical applications such knowledge might have.</p>
<p>This is why for my next 3 semesters, I plan to take 2 classes in my major, 2 classes in subjects that interest me, for learning sake, to become well educated, and then my music classes.</p>
<p>One of the reasons I'm not going to double major is because I want to take a wide variety of other classes.</p>
<p>"How many of you are here not just because you want a better job, but because you want to learn?"</p>
<p>I'm not shocked... I'd be more shocked if people DID raise their hands. The whole point of education is to improve your quality of life. Be it through a job or an intellectual atmosphere... In all honesty, if you could be completely sucessful in life without going through all the education, would you? I know I would. My parents always remind me that their will has many stipulations and one of them basically says that if I am not sucessful on my own, I will get none of their assets(which includes many properties and a company). People spend time on something to advance themselves in the world. It's not reasonable to think that people have the luxury to spend time on topics which will get them nowhere. There are few people in college who can merely AFFORD to randomly explore every major just because "they love to learn". </p>
<p>... I enjoy learning, but I am learning for a purpose.</p>
<p>The quote says not JUST because. Just. As in: that's not your only motivation. Perhaps it's your primary motivation, perhaps not, but either way, is it your only motivation?</p>
<p>It isn't mine. I won't try to claim it is. However, it is a big factor in choosing what I'm studying. It is very important to me to learn for learning's sake. I don't know that I'd "go through all the education" if it wasn't for the diploma (too much bureacracy for it to be entirely effective -- if that was really all I wanted, I could do it like the millions of people in the past have: by doing it myself), but whether I complete a degree or not, I know that I am fully invested in reading and discussing and just plain learning however I can.</p>
<p>THAT is the difference.</p>
<p>The basic question is, as anovice was getting at (though for different reasons): if you could be completely successful in life without education, would you pursue it on your own?</p>
<p>"if you could be completely successful in life without education, would you pursue it on your own?"</p>
<p>If education is defined as a 40K a year college where I am forced to also take courses I am not interested in and do what I consider meaningless work... then no, I would not. </p>
<p>BUT... education is so broad and includes so many other aspects outside of a "traditional learning environment" (ie school). IMO, there is so much more to learn from your peers, your culture, and the world then from a textbook in college. </p>
<p>Unlike some, I believe that most things people do they do because of how they want to appear to the rest of the world. I also believe that intelligence is not gauged on if you can recite Plato or Socrates or if you can solve a math problem that no one else can. I had a great uncle who is now deceased but he attended college for nearly his entire life and was amazingly smart. BUT he was poor and lived off the rest of the world, never found a wife, never had a child, never traveled, never did anything that most people would consider gratifying... but he died a happy man. Wow, I'm really getting off topic but I guess this was in defense the idea that what I view is not necessarily right and IF I view education(proper) as a means to get a job, that does not make me any less then you(or anyonelse) who is there for the "love of learning"... not that you said that those there to advance in the workplace are lower, but I believe it is implied. </p>
<p>...so, yes, I enjoy learning but learning for a purpose.</p>
<p>truth be told, you can't do crap with a liberal arts degree. People work hard to go up in social class and have financial security. Maybe if you're loaded and have parents who have a yacht and you own a beamer then it doesn't matter, but for the common person, they want to rise and be successful in life.</p>