Life Long Learning

Ah.. finally , a small breathing space , a space all for myself , a moment where I will be able to enjoy in my peaceful, tranquil and majestic hometown ,Penang . Finally , a well-deserved small break after all those hard works and efforts spent facing book this semester ( oh well , not really that much hard works anyway lol ,more like facebooking all the time ,and I am actually playing truant , skipping an entire week of class before my actual study break ,but meh, who cares ! )

Home sweet home indeed ~ People say , the heart will yearn for something familiar if you haven’t see it for a while . Why, so true indeed . It referring to my beloved hometown in this case.

I have always felt at ease in home , not because of the conveniences here ( washing machine , soft bed , air conditioner when needed , usable internet and best of all ,unlimited food ftw ! ) , but because of the freedom and flexibility it offers. though the convenience does serve as an added bonus ! And at home , I will have more opportunities to do whatever I wanted to do most and learn whatever I wanted to learn . You see, I am never a fans of textbook-based approach . In fact , I abhorred it. I hate the fact that since young , when we are still the innocent and naïve little sponge who could have absorbed everything easily , we have been drilled with the concept of textbook-based approach .

I can’t speak for other countries , but as for my own country , I can affirm you for sure , that having being subjected to arduous , long hours of digesting facts and figures , then regurgitating them during examinations , and subsequently forgetting them after examination , our education system is not one that I would put my children through . I think it is rather retarded that we should adhere to such rigid education system which , in my opinion , limits our creativity and opportunities to explore other subjects .Take for example , if a student who’s really talented in arts and drawing but not so inclined towards memorizing and studying facts, let’s name him John , be subjected to such education system , spending close to 12 years on learning stuff which may not necessarily be of importance to his future , wouldn’t it be a complete waste of time ? Besides, wouldn’t it stifle and limit his potential ? Wouldn’t it be better if John uses perhaps half of that time memorizing facts to hone and enhance his artistic skills ?

In countries like US , the education system is so much more efficient and effective . For instance , after their A level ( our pre-university equivalence ) , the students there are free to take and explore whatever subject they like in a gap year, before continuing their tertiary education .Now, that’s practical education .

All in all , I believed in life long education instead of a short term one. In today’s society , most people perceive “learning”  in very narrow terms: it’s what we do in school, and once we’ve got our college degree, the learning phase is over – it’s time to work.

Of course, things aren’t really that black and white:we carry on learning after we’ve left school, and not just in our careers but in every aspect of our lives. And learning often doesn’t equate to taking qualifications or passing exams. Approached the right way, learning isn’t a process of ticking boxes on a curriculum or course outline – it’s about exploration, growth and enrichment.

Learning should be a life long journey , something that one should continue doing till the last breath . True education should be an endless pursuit of pragmatic and practical knowledge , no matter in what field or aspect . Great leaders are often people with substance possessing wealth of knowledge .Steve jobs once said “ Stay hungry , stay foolish “ . Once a man stops learning , that’s when he stops living .

Recently , I was hooked to musical instruments and only now starting to venture into this fascinating world of music . And let me tell you , the joy and epiphany of learning something new , is simply fantastic ! As I slowly indulge in this journey of learning , the thrilling sense of acquiring yet another fascinating piece of knowledge from an endless treasure troves excites me and gives an adrenaline rush that’s unlike any activity . Remember that feeling when you encountered a difficult math problems that had you thinking for hours, maybe even days? Frustrating right ? How about the feeling after you solved it eventually ? That euphoria moment , that’s the feeling you will have when you learnt something new.

So, people , what are you waiting for ? Start learning and pick up new skills now !