Education for granted

Written by Leisure / General

As I get into my seat in Russian class the professor hands back our first test. Overall he states that the class did poorly. I take that into consideration as I look at my test. I look at my neighbor and see he received an A. I look at my mistakes and realize where I went wrong. Then it hits me. I look at my neighbor again. I then think to myself that he wears the same dirty jeans to school, tugs around shopping bags filled with Starbucks cups. He has a dirty beard, worn shoes which he wears everyday, and a gut. “I want to be an international businessman”, was what he replied when he was asked what his aspirations were. Here I am, sitting next to a homeless man who knows the language better than a native speaker. He managed to pull off an A while showing up to at most three lectures. He made me realize that I take my education for granted.

Education does not equal intelligence. At college we all ask if we will get jobs (instead of careers). Many (including myself) show up, take notes, cram information and do decently on exams. We graduate and are numb. We realize we never picked up a book unless we were asked to. What good is that?

Thankfully, my professor allowed us to retake the exam. I am expecting a much better grade. Whether that is the case or not, I plan to change myself. To start off, Tania and I plan to learn about cooking since both of us are amateurs. Yes, its not an education, but it’s a start.