How to Succeed at the Failure of the Education System

How to Succeed at the Failure of the Education System

by | Sep 7, 2015 | society & individuality

Right out of the womb, we are automatically placed on an education assembly line. Daycare, preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, higher education.

We all follow a template failing to question the reality of its success. How can structured curriculum light a spark in every single person? Society and the school system emphasize success through grades, GPAs, and honor rolls. If only we could measure success by the spark in a person’s eyes and the way they feel when they are in the midst of doing something they love. Powerful, meaningful, brilliant.

So what if a world class dancer gets a D in Algebra. No one may ever witness a captivating performance that leaves a crowded room in awe, because we are measuring success on an incorrect scale. The school system dims the sparks in the children that do not excel in tests. Right and wrong answers morph the creative nature of children and adults. Life isn’t that black and white.

This school system transforms into our future career. Thirty years down the road, we may be trapped in a job we dislike, and even worse hate. We don’t enjoy the work we do, and we live for the evenings and weekends. We should be living with our entire soul and being, consistently and constantly.

As a college student, I see many of my peers floating through their education with an Undecided major and an uncertain future. Upon graduation, students still have no clue what career they really want. We are pressured to figure out our lives in two very short years. Students rely on their peers, teachers, family members, and economy to tell them what they will be doing for the rest of their lives. When they are learning, they are only learning things relevant to specific course work and biased teacher views. They often stop learning once they leave the classroom or finish their assignments, limiting their ability to learn the things that truly interest them. Some fill their weekday evenings with hours of Netflix, and weekends of alcohol and regret.

If we can’t change our current education system, we must adapt our life to fit the education we need. We must learn on our own time, about ourselves and the world. We must learn what we truly want out of this life. We can’t depend on the current structure to gain the knowledge that is important to us and how we will make a difference in this world.

I was privileged to be able to excel at this system. Getting good grades encouraged me to learn more. I felt like it was a game that I could win at. I received positive attention, and it gave me confidence to learn mostly everything with little fear of not being able to pick material up. Granted, I quickly found in college that my work required more effort. I ended my freshman year dissatisfied and extremely upset with my grade point average. Depressed, I began to think that college wasn’t for me. After my failure, I became determined to strive for great grades. I started to acknowledge and appreciate the process and effort it took for me to get an A in a course. This is the blessing of creating a growth mindset.

Carol Dweck is a leading motivation researcher, who has studied children and the growth mindset. Her research shows that parents and teachers make the mistake of telling children, “You are smart.” Instead, you should be telling them, “Good job, you put a lot of effort into this.” Teaching children the art of persistence will push them to surpass obstacles. Praising intelligence can create a fixed mindset in children, in turn facing difficulties with the belief that they may not be “smart enough.” Praising the process allows children to develop a growth mindset, allowing them to achieve things they may not have thought was possible due to ‘limited intelligence’.

How do I accomplish my goals and dreams?

The key answer is effort and execution. I have to push my way through any obstacles that come up . We all know this, yet we will still allow our dreams to linger. Waiting for the possibility that someday an easier route will appear to allow us to successfully accomplish our goals. Effort and execution are the backbone to any successful person. You are unable to accomplish any major goals with zero effort and execution.

With the current school system, we will need to make the effort to determine what career and type of education works best for us. We have to put in the work to outline our potential lives and what we plan to do on this earth. I watch so many students leave it up to their teachers and family members to place them on a career path.

Grab ahold of your own life and education. Indulge yourself in topics that interest you. Design your own career path. You don’t need to follow the template-fitted life the school system hands you.

Who will you be, and what will you accomplish during your life?

Embrace this as a meaningful challenge. This isn’t meant to be stressful or worrisome. It’s a remarkable opportunity that we have to answer such a question. Our purpose may be ever-changing, that is just how we are as humans. We are continually growing.

Yesterday. Who were you? What did you give this world?

Today. Who are you? What are you going to give this world?

Tomorrow. Who do you want to be? What do you want to give this world?

Learn from yesterday and tomorrow..

Today, who are you and what are you going to give this world?

If you are aware of the purpose the school system serves you and take ahold of your own life, you will succeed at the failure of the education system. Teach yourself the things you need to know in order to give what you want to the world. Don’t let someone else decide what your contribution will be.