Since the beginning of time, education has been an important part of our civilization and evolution. It is a continuous process that facilitates skill and knowledge acquisition and enables an individual to develop and evolve. Through education, individuals do not only attain their maximum potential, but they are also able to learn and adopt certain skills, beliefs, and values necessary for one’s survival.
Education is facilitated in multitude of ways. One way to facilitate education is through one’s own life experiences. Through experience, an individual is able to undergo the process of introspection – that is, an individual is able to reflect, learn, and gain insights from his experiences– and, at the same time, be able to apply these insights to his inner and outer world. Experience enlightens and molds an individual to be a better version of himself, enabling the individual to flexibly adapt himself to the demands of his surroundings.
Another way of facilitating education is by applying the scaffolding approach. Scaffolding is a structured-based approach wherein education is aided through the help and guidance of an expert or an adult knowledgeable enough to teach a certain skill or ability (McLeod, 2010; as cited in Wood et al., 1976, p. 90). Through scaffolding, a systematic process of learning is established. One common example of scaffolding is found inside classrooms where children are being guided by a teacher to learn a certain skill or acquire a certain trait or characteristic.
At present, people are not only using experience and scaffolding as a medium for learning, but they are also using a lot of platforms to facilitate education such as the internet. At this modern era where technology governs most of the people’s daily lives, learning new things is inevitable. As modernity and innovation arises, people are acquiring more and more knowledge and skills in just a blink of an eye.
However, no matter how inevitable this phenomenon is, by the time people reach the age of adulthood, they, themselves, cease to learn and acquire certain potentialities. They are content with the fact that they have learned everything they needed to learn when they were young. Thus, people ask: Why is it important to further your education?
Furthering one’s education has several advantages that a lot of individuals are not aware of. The first and most common reason of continuing one’s education is because some people wanted to increase their qualifications (College of Health Care Professions, 2014). Some professionals have taken postgraduate and doctoral degrees just to expand their credentials. By doing this, some individuals acquire additional rewards such as increased income, larger connections, and higher power and status.
Another reason that drives individuals to further their education is because people wanted to boost their confidence (Hasan, 2016). Some people find furthering their education as a way to improve their social and communication skills. People who continue their education learn more and interact more with people, especially, in their chosen field of expertise. That is why people take up additional degrees to build their confidence by polishing their social and communication skills.
Somehow, reasons such as boosting your confidence, increasing one’s qualifications, acquiring financial independence, as well as building connections, status, and power may seem superficial to some, but beyond these mundane reasons for furthering one’s education, some are still continuing their education for a single reason and that is because some people have a passion to learn (Al Taher, 2016). Some people are driven not by external rewards but by rewards arising within them. Some people are satisfied by just learning and acquiring new skills, and expanding their knowledge. Nevertheless, whatever reason it may be, what is important is that individuals are passionate and happy with what they are doing even if it takes them years to reach accomplishment.
References:
- Al Taher, R. (2016). What is the classification of character strengths and virtues?. Retrieved (July 6, 2016) from https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/classification-character-strengths-virtues/
- College of Health Care Professions. (2014). 10 good reasons to continue your education. Retrieved (July 6, 2017) from http://www.chcp.edu/blog/10-good-reasons-continue-your-education
- Hasan, S. (2016). 5 reasons you should continue your education. Retrieved (July 6, 2017) from http://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/5-reasons-you-should-continue-your-education/
- McLeod, S.A. (2012). Zone of proximal development. Retrieved (July 6, 2017) from www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html
