Monday, January 7, 2013

School is for Fools

Well, the holidays are over friends. It's back to school for me, with my new highlighters, sharpened pencils, and freshly cleaned satchel (or satchuel as Lisa would call it). As long as I can remember I have loved going to school. It is the one thing in life that I KNOW I am good at! So, for as long as I can make myself, I will continue to go to school. Part of me realizes that it is a bit cowardly to continue my education, because it is "safe". I know how to earn A's, I know what it means to spend hours reading and studying literature. I enjoy working through statistics- it's like a puzzle! (which I also enjoy, by the way)


To put it all out there- I am a bona fied N.E.R.D. 

Yet, is being a nerd really all that bad of a thing? I mean, sure I may not have quite the extravagant social life, and the majority of my evenings are spent curled up with a good book- so what if it's Biostatistics 101- I can't tell you the number of papers I've written, nor the pounds of scratch paper I've recycled ( A LOT!). 

Let's be honest here, not everyone loves this life, and many don't understand the thrill of it. 

Nonetheless, here I am. Sitting at my MacBook; already checked my classes at least 7 times today to make sure I hadn't missed any announcements (don't worry I've also checked the syllabus twice), and class doesn't start until Wednesday for me. The fact that I'm a little jealous my hubby started class again this morning should solidify any doubts some of you had about me not having a single "cool" bone in my body! 

For me, education is learning, learning is knowledge and knowledge is everything. The world is vastly undiscovered. History class is like my favorite story book, music and art transform my emotions into a different dimension, science fascinates me with new advances in technique and technologies every single day! Think of the progression that has been made in the last 100 years, the last 50, heck think of how much has changed in the last 5 years! All that is exemplar of this life exists because of learning, discovery, and perseverance. I believe education nurtures creativity and enables this progression. My classes are not just about learning the art of public health and health promotion, their sole purpose isn't to increase my net worth. There is more to it than understanding infectious disease and knowing how to use statistical software. It is about broadening my horizons, expanding my perception of the topic matter, and includes the art of thinking, problem solving, and collaboration. 

Because I am not a master at the art of diction, and I am a huge fan of quotes, I'll let these exemplar minds reiterate my thoughts: 

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" 
Nelson Mandela


"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire" 
William Butler Yeats

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your
temper or your self-confidence" 
Robert Frost


"It is the mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it" 
Aristotle 

And honestly, if you don't know of these prodigious men, pull yourself out of the hole and Google it. Seriously. 

Oh and read a book.