Recently, George, an engineering student in Egypt, was sharing with me his challenges with school. He is making the mistake many students make, thinking they are in school to learn calculus, chemistry or any other “subject” matter.
The reality is that you are a student in high school and/or university for one reason only – to learn HOW to learn…
Depending on what you are studying, you will acquire and develop different learning (cognitive skills).
Engineers learn problem solving skills.
Lawyers learn interpretive skills.
Doctors learn diagnostic skills.
Once you realise this, your life as a student changes.
If you are in high school or university, you may INTEND to practice engineering, medicine or law, but the reality is that most students do something ELSE with the education following graduation. Once they launch their careers, they leverage their acquired skills to the extent they developed them WHILE they were students. The paradox is that unless you study like an engineer, doctor or lawyer, you simply cannot (as easily) acquire THOSE particular skills. You need to develop those skills WHILE you are a student…
When you study across disciplines as I have, social science, engineering, business and law, you realise that each skill set has its place in society.
The BIG question for you to ask yourself as a student is – “what skill(s) do you want to have once you graduate?”
