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| Funnytoss Taiwan. August 30 2012 15:14. Posts 1340 | Profile Blog # |
In my recent post about ramen and life, I briefly touched on the purpose of higher education, and how for many of us, school doesn't necessarily set us up very well for life afterwards. Certainly, the point of institutionalized education shouldn't be purely for survival - otherwise, for most people the best thing to do would be to enroll in trade school at the ages of 13-14, learn a useful skill, and work off of that for the rest of your days. You're physically capable of working in most jobs at that age, but I can say with a degree of confidence that few people think this is the best way to go, at least in contemporary society. I think there's a big difference between "school/formal education" and "education", but I may occasionally use these words interchangeably. Bad habit, I know.
I got a lot out of school, and if I had a chance to do it over again, I wouldn't change very much. Overall, I had a fairly varied and diverse education, so perhaps that's why I have a more positive view on formal education than someone stuck in the test-centered Taiwanese school system, or a kid forgotten in the underfunded inner-city public school district. Still, I do believe that for the most part, what you get out of something depends on how much you put into it. I've had classes in well-funded institutions like Michigan where people really cared if you were learning something worthwhile, and I've gone to school in places where actually going to class regularly is a curiosity.
For most of my childhood, school was straightforward. I was a middle-class ABC and went to a good private school, taking violin classes two nights a week (of course), and playing in youth soccer and hockey leagues, depending on the weather. But when my family moved to Taiwan after the summer of 5th grade, everything changed. Most significantly, I think living in more than one country for an extended period of time definitely has an effect on your mindset and values. More than anything, that has helped shape my perspective of the world and life. After moving, I was homeschooled for 3 years (because my Chinese ability wasn't up to par to go to a standard school), and that made me question the necessity of formal schooling. Then I attended an experimental high school where to a certain extent, you could do whatever you wanted - in a way, similar to college. Many kids took the opportunity to play video games and cut classes every chance they got, and quite a few never ended up going to college, or delayed it for several years. For the most part though, they appear content with their life choices, something that may be somewhat unimaginable to many of my peers who graduated from the University of Michigan (obviously, a completely different educational environment), now in their mid-20s and in grad school for the next few years to come.
As a child, it's easy to believe that life is as you see it. This sounds fairly simple, but it is a crucial step in becoming a more thoughtful and nuanced thinker. When you grow up with only one language spoken and used around you, it's hard to understand the value and necessity of foreign languages. When you only hang out with people of similar ethnic background and culture, it's hard to see why diversity and multiculturalism can be a good, or even necessary thing. When you only hang out with kids from your church's youth group, you can't imagine how someone wouldn't believe in Jesus.
Of course, as you grow older and more experienced, you encounter things that challenge your worldview, if only because you can't be sheltered forever. You move out of your neighborhood, you meet all kinds of people at work, you start using the internet, you transition from childhood to adulthood and start to have more sympathy for the "respect your elders BS" that you once hated. Some people take this process in stride, becoming wiser as they go, and these are the people I look up to the most. Some can't handle it and reject any piece of information that contradicts their already-existing worldview. You see this a lot from those senior citizens who forward every piece of negative chainmail about Barack Obama to everyone they know, or just recite political talking points without independent thought of their own.
In my case, "shock therapy" proved fairly useful. When you live in one country your entire life, and then travel somewhere else only as a tourist, it's fairly natural to dismiss others as "weird" - finding yourself unable to really relate with their religious beliefs, their customs, the way they communicate. As someone totally accustomed to the American way of communication, Japan can be extremely frustrating, being that it feels like no one really expresses their feelings directly, but rather in (what may seem to you) a roundabout way. It's not actually roundabout, because people there know exactly what is being said, it just feels unsaid because it's not done in a way you can understand easily. Or you get frustrated when someone offers you tea in Taiwan and you decline, but they pour it for you anyway, because "you're supposed to decline out of politeness, and people understand that they're supposed to pour it anyway".
But when you move to a place, and for all you know, permanently... it's easier to get deeper into a culture, to understand how and why things work the way they do in a different place. Of course you have the kids of businessmen working abroad who go to American schools in gated communities and never really interact with the locals in any meaningful way, but for the most part, it changes you profoundly. It helps you to notice things about yourself that you had previously taken for granted. When I'm in America, I feel quite Taiwanese at times, but when I'm Taiwan, I suddenly realize how American I am. Overall, moving to Taiwan forced me to challenge many things I had taken for granted in life, and once I was able to do so, I came to the realization that *I could be wrong*, about almost anything.
"I could be wrong."
Four simple words, but a huge difference in terms of open-mindedness and willingness to change. This isn't necessarily moral relativism. There are some topics that I hold very strong views about, but I'm willing and able to see where others who disagree with me are coming from, partly because I was forced to when in Taiwan, and subsequently after moving back to the United States for undergrad. I'll use several examples to help illustrate my point.
Take the issue of gun control. In Taiwan, guns are illegal. As such, a common American NRA argument goes, only criminals will have guns. In a sense, this is true. Guns still exist in Taiwan, and occasionally you'll see news of police raids confiscating Uzis and Mac-10s, but overall there are very few shootings. The typical domestic dispute that goes too far ends with a watermelon knife (still ugly) and a victim in the ER, and not with dozens of bodies chalked on the sidewalk. The roots of absolute gun control in Taiwan may in part stem from its previous authoritarian government, which was a minority ethnic group (Han Chinese) holding disproportionate power over the majority (Taiwanese/Hakka/Aboriginal) population of the island. No doubt they would have felt rather uncomfortable with citizens being armed - the perfect "defense against tyranny" 2nd amendment argument. And yet, as Taiwan has become a stable, if idiosyncratic democracy, people are happy not go have to endure all the school and movie shootings that seem to happen on a weekly basis in the United States.
On the other hand, Taiwan is a small country. When friends there respond with incredulity towards yet another shooting in the States and wonder why guns are still legal, I remind them that in many rural areas, help from the police can be hours away. A well maintained rifle can be a necessary deterrent in some specific situations, and thus I'm reluctant to completely ban guns in the States, even while believing that Taiwan has done the right thing on this particular issue. Some American friends of mine who have never lived in a gunless society do not see it as feasible, much like they cannot fathom single-payer healthcare (socialized medicine) as being a good, viable possibility. But because I have lived in a country without guns, with universal health care, I say it can be done. But I understand where they're coming from. I can easily admit to being wrong because I can see cases in which a point of view that I had once held steadfastly wasn't, in reality, that ironclad at all.
This is a kind of lesson that you rarely learn in school, at least until college. Teachers fear being challenged, and cannot have their students considering the possibility that maybe, just maybe, the textbook is wrong. Because unless a teacher truly loves and knows her academic subject... what else does she have besides her title once the aura of expertise is stripped away? Thus the illusion of infallibility must be preserved, often at the expense of the creativity and curiosity of young, impressionable minds. This mindset permeates all sorts of subjects, to the detriment of many graduates who find themselves ill-prepared for a life in the productive workforce.
What are some of the things I wish school had taught me? Or similarly, what subject was taught so poorly that it would have been better if I had never learned it at all?
1. History
If you have never read "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong", you should. As a political science major, I may be biased regarding the importance of history (I probably find it more interesting than most). I believe an honest, nuanced understanding of history is crucial towards the improvement of the individual, and the nation. While I have only had in-depth personal experience with American and Taiwanese history books, I find they both suffer from the same problems. Inaccurate depictions of historical figures and events, and deceptive teachings that do not help students understand why the world they live in is the way it is. By framing the Founding Fathers at mythical, perfect figures, they become superhuman, mythological, unattainable, and ultimately, boring. They are no longer something that students can and should strive to be - real, flawed people that nonetheless were able to overcome their shortcomings and help to change the world for the better. And that's unfortunate, because there's a lot of truth in the saying, "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." We have seen powerful nations like the U.S.A. make the same avoidable military and strategical mistakes over and over again, because we have refused to learn the right lessons from Vietnam. Of course, your definition of "right" may vary. Some think that the lesson from Vietnam was that the politicians held the military back from victory, and that more troops, more blood, and more time would have resulted in a more favorable outcome. This appears to be the dominant interpretation, at least judging from current U.S. policy (and especially neoconservative ideals) . Others believe that Vietnam showed the futility of fighting an extended overseas insurgency in which you have little to lose, compared to the locals. Either way, without truly examining the good and bad, how can citizens be expected to make anything more than gut instinct decisions?
2. Personal Finance
It's astonishing how poorly many (college!) graduates manage their finances. In Taiwan, there's a phrase called "月光族", which roughly translated, means "Broke at the end of the month". Many people live paycheck to paycheck, not necessarily because they aren't making enough, but because they have absolutely no concept of finance. When and where to save or invest in, what items to prioritize when on a limited budget, what life decisions are feasible or worthwhile. And of course, the U.S. pretty much invented living off of credit card debt. Arguably, the Financial Crisis of 2008 was in large part caused by questionable financial values. It is one thing to buy a house assuming it will appreciate, thus providing you with additional useful income after you sell it. It is another to borrow money that you may never have, purely on the assumption that the housing market will never fall, financing an unsustainable lifestyle based on a vague sense of hope. It should be fairly self explanatory how a nation would be better-served by having citizens well educated in basic financial concepts, or at the very least impart something about the value of self-control and restraint.
3. How to cook
Fairly self explanatory, I think. This is linked to a better understanding of your body and health, as food is a huge factor in all this, and of course it has long term effects on your future potential and quality of life.
There are several other subjects that I find personally useful, but I recognize that the value of these things can vary significantly depending on your line of work or what country you are living in. I personally think understanding basic statistics and probability is quite useful and I wish schools taught a bit more about this before college, but I can accept that this may be somewhat subjective.
What things do *you* wish you learned in school? Or otherwise, what things have you learned throughout your life (both in and out of school) that have been extremely valuable?
Related: All Life's Lessons Can Be Learned By Playing StarCraft
EDIT:
Based on some great feedback, I've added some of the things you guys would have found valuable below. Some rephrasing was done.
Credit Rating
Communication Skills
Doing Taxes
Practical work experience/internships
Resumes/Cover letters
How to navigate bureaucracy (ex: Department of Motor Vehicles/DMV)
First Aid
Basic Body Functions
Critical ThinkingLast edit: 2012-09-04 12:56:28
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| | AIV_Funnytoss and sGs.Funnytoss on iCCup |
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| sluggaslamoo Australia. August 30 2012 16:06. Posts 3494 | Profile Blog # |
I wish I had more autonomy.
I wish I could choose classes of my level, rather than being taught at a certain level for no other reason than I was born a certain year. I could have learned year 12 English at year 7, from years 7 to 10, you never actually learn how to write, you are just given "things to do". Then for some reason when scores are on the line, you actually get properly taught, unfortunately in a crammed manner.
Theres no autonomy within subjects either. Instead of being given assignments, why not give students outcomes they have to achieve? For example in Art, the outcome would be to create a portfolio rather than assigning students to do specific things each week. That allows students to express themselves better, and produce better artwork. Its dull if everyone is doing the same thing, and you have no inspiration, so you just produce crap every week. Art doesn't usually work like that, what happens is you get an inspiration first and then you create it, you don't put a block of clay in front of you and then go "alright now make something out of it". Same goes for other subjects too.
I wish I could have specialised much earlier on. Some of the subjects I did, I thought were completely useless, and still do today. Some of our subjects are completely outdated, like OP said, finance is very important, other subjects like business/communication, and IT are never taught until the last 2 years of highschool as an elective. These should be core subjects at highschool now.Last edit: 2012-08-30 16:12:01 |
| | BW: Slugger[wOk] feel free to add | No Tidehunter |
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| y0su August 30 2012 17:02. Posts 1769 | Profile # |
Awesome blog! As someone who's lived (for long periods) in vastly different cultures I totally understand everything you're saying.
I'll try to respond more later but for now... I don't understand how NO ONE in the US tells you how to fill out a tax return. |
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| nttea Sweden. August 30 2012 18:45. Posts 4067 | Profile Blog # |
| I wish i learned how to study :D still have no fucking idea |
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| Roe Canada. August 30 2012 18:57. Posts 5141 | Profile Blog # |
| I wish I learned how to be happy and enjoy life |
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| drsnuggles Korea (South). August 30 2012 21:27. Posts 307 | Profile Blog # |
| You should watch the movie 'Deserter', I think you can relate to the main character very well since his point of view is very similar to yours (as far as I understand it and I would think I am very similar to yours as well). |
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| Diks Belgium. August 30 2012 22:36. Posts 1720 | Profile # |
I wish school didn't disgust me from many passionating subjects such as history, geography, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
I only now understand all the stuff that i missed and how big my flaws were and are.
Since I'm out of school I'm starting to understand this subjects, and since i understand a bit this subjects, I can finally learn a bit not for the grade but just because it really interests me.
I feel bad when I try to learn stuff I should already know by then, graduated in some exams but totally forget afterwards because the only thing I was trying to get was a good grade and not actual knowledge.
It has more to do with the teachers than school I think, but I believe it's the school responsability to hire passionated teachers that want to make you understand how great their subject is. In my personal experience, some succeeded, most failed.
I only now realise that you can only learn something that interests you, something that gives you some emotions because it has some kind of sense for you, otherwise you won't enjoy it and you'll quickly forget.
How many time did I have to learn some random names, dates or places just for the sake of it, without having any knowledge of what it actually was about, only to get my grade and forget afterward.
Stay out of school, kids
(I'm kidding, I'm only ranting about the bad stuff, shcool offered many good stuff but that would be for another thread) |
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| Revolt United States. August 30 2012 22:44. Posts 288 | Profile Blog # |
went from a good set-up about education, and your personal definition, to a transition to cultural shock.
a bit of a confusing write up, but nevertheless, it had good material. |
| | A depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity. |
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| s.a.y Croatia. August 31 2012 02:17. Posts 3582 | Profile Blog # |
The main problem were the teachers, and that is why i became one.
Education system killed my passion for exploring new stuff, made me doubt my possibility's, avoided guiding me better and all in all made a very distorted picture of what makes you successful and happy in life. |
| | hot_bid / R1CH fan | www.sc2croatia.com | Croatian SC2 scene | |
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| scBay United States. August 31 2012 04:57. Posts 8 | Profile # |
hell of a read man.
i've never lived in another country but what you said about education nails it. one of the - if not THE biggest - problems about public education in america (again, cant speak for any other country) is that it almost hinders creativity. The way all the essays and stuff are structured ("No, it MUST be a 5 paragraph essay!"), the way the subjects are taught in general, and of course the way its impressed upon you that success in life means going to a four-year college.
And the colleges don't get off the hook either. Look, I understand competitiveness and the need for people to spread themselves, but the idea of judging the next 4 or 8 years of someone's life by the person they were when they were 16 years old seems a little hard to swallow. I hate that aspect of it.
Just my two cents, probably rambled and didn't make any sense either. But yeah nice post! |
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| Blazinghand United States. August 31 2012 05:44. Posts 12224 | Profile Blog # |
| Part of the reason for bad teacher is the low compensation rate for teachers. I know some people who are great, intelligent, kind people who became teachers despite the poor wages for a job of that education level, and I also know people who are great, intelligent kind people who would have become teachers but would rather be able to make a middle-class living here in the bay area. I'm sure there are other factors but this is one of them. |
| | When you stare into the iCCup, the iCCup stares back. |
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| Burns United States. August 31 2012 09:21. Posts 1620 | Profile Blog # |
| i wish that i learned somethig useful in school, after taking summer internships i habe found i learned much more in working then i did reading text books |
| | What do you mean you heard me during the night, these are quiet pants! | |
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| Fumanchu Canada. August 31 2012 11:30. Posts 284 | Profile Blog # |
| In high school we had this one block each day called CAPP. Career and Personal Planning. It was this 15 or 30 minute session where everyone just sat around doodling. I'm still not sure what we were supposed to be doing, but nothing was enforced by the teachers. I wish instead they had taught us little life lessons in those opportune sessions. Like how important your credit rating is. What to expect and what to look for when apartment hunting. How to formulate a proper resume and cover letter. A sampling of a cheap healthy budget. What stats are most important when drafting a QB? 15 minutes a day really adds up and just some quick easy tips on what to expect when we ventured out on our own would have meant a lot. |
| | Easy doesnt fit into grownup life. |
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| Feartheguru Canada. August 31 2012 12:08. Posts 762 | Profile # | |
| | Don't sweat the petty stuff, don't pet the sweaty stuff. |
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| Tooplark United States. August 31 2012 13:08. Posts 1729 | Profile # |
We actually used Lies My Teacher Told Me and Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States as textbooks for our U.S. History class. The teacher was pretty awesome.
Also, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have paid any attention to things like credit rating and apartment hunting advice until I got a credit card/started looking for an apartment. |
| | WHAT POW'R ART THOU WHO FROM BELOW HAST MADE ME RISE UNWILLINGLY AND SLOW |
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 superbarnie United States. August 31 2012 13:32. Posts 280 | Profile # |
but taiwan is a small country
taiwan is country? i didn't know that. always thought it was a province or autonomous region.Last edit: 2012-08-31 13:33:13 |
| | Zerg OP | CreansRNub | k-Poop | Zerg OP | Sea lions | \\m// |
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| nosliw United States. August 31 2012 14:12. Posts 1824 | Profile Blog # |
| Yup, it's got its own president, democratic elections, etc |
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| Aerisky United States. August 31 2012 14:12. Posts 9247 | Profile Blog # |
On August 31 2012 13:32 superbarnie wrote:taiwan is country? i didn't know that. always thought it was a province or autonomous region.
Depends on whom you're asking 
Oh nice job on getting this featured. Some of this is definitely great, though unfortunately while I see some of my own shortcomings here, I still don't know exactly whom I'm supposed to ask to get basic, fundamental information on managing my own money (for example). Probably my parents, as they seemed to know what they were doing. |
| | "It has always been in my observation of human nature, that a man who has any good reason to believe in himself never flourishes himself before the faces of other people in order that they may believe in him." |
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| felisconcolori United States. August 31 2012 19:02. Posts 2531 | Profile # |
On August 30 2012 17:02 y0su wrote:
I'll try to respond more later but for now... I don't understand how NO ONE in the US tells you how to fill out a tax return.
My $0.02 on that particular subject - it's because no one really knows how to do it, even if they are a CPA with 20+ years of experience. Even the tax software makes me wonder. The actual tax code is an accretion of laws, addendums, special interest inputs, and spaghetti economic theories tossed on a plate of wtf. Even IRS agents can have issues detangling the mess. This is largely why I put my trust in software... because at least the math is going to come out pretty well.
On the wider topic of the OP blog...
I wish that I had been taught how very much I don't know, and may never know. While some people may find that a disincentive for learning (why bother if you'll never know everything?) I think it's extremely important to learn, as quickly as possible, that compared to all there is to know, you know nothing. That understanding that you don't know everything can hopefully keep your mind open to new things. Instead of saying "Well, that's just impossible because I know it can't happen" you can say "Wow, that's really strange. How did that happen? I should look into that..."
I look at the depths of my own ability to be wrong, and to just not know, and I see that there will always be something to learn. There is always something new, something to look forward to - and even when I think I might know it, there's still nuances or changes that could mean I can revisit the topic and learn something new.
... Except for higher maths. Calculus and differential equations give me a huge headache.
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i find that sometimes i actually never tried to understand the interlocutor's position. And that makes me know, most of the road is before me.
