School vs. Education

           Samuel Langhorne Clemens also known by his pen name, Mark Twain was born November 30, 1835 and passed away April 21, 1910. He was an American an author as well as a humorist. He wrote the American classics, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

“Don't let schooling interfere with your education.”

~Mark Twain

Seeing as school and education are playing a big part in my future right now, I thought this quote would be appropriate. With filling in university applications, and choosing programs, it's a busy time of year that makes me question the influence of school and education on my future. The quote itself resonates with me because often school and education get put together when in reality they are very different. People assume you need school to have an education. School is a building, an institution, somewhere you go.  Education is something you can attain. You can’t go to education. You can get an education. I don’t always particularly like going to school, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want an education. I love to learn, I really genuinely love to learn. When I make mistakes, I want to clarify the problem and learn how to do it correctly. The thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that you don’t have to be in a school setting to be smart or gain an education.  A teacher can teach a class in the middle of a field if they have to. Their knowledge or education does not leave their mind if they are not in a classroom. School is not the factor that determines your overall education. The education you gain doesn’t leave you when you exit a school. It’s not like you leave your brain at school and put it back on every morning when you arrive; it stays with you, follows you around. Another point that I want to try to get across is that rather than school determining how much education or knowledge one has, sometimes curiousity is what can determine it. If you’re curious about something or simply have a general curiousity, you’ll push yourself to learn and find opportunities. Again, one does not have to be in a school setting to be curious.

Check this video out, it’s in the form of spoken word!