Education | Modern Education

The Importance of Education

BERLIN - OCTOBER 07: Singer and guitarist Bil...

Of the three members of the band Green Day, only one graduated from high school. The band left on tour the very next day. Their latest album has sold 3.5 million copies.

Not all of us can be Tre Cools, Billie Joe Armstrongs, or Mike Dirnts. And frankly, knowing the difference between a sonnet and a scatter plot is pretty handy. While rock stars may have fame and fortune (and a high average for drug use, suicide and horrendous money management skills) having a real education is important too, even if it is not showcased as being glamorous.

An education is really just about experiencing the world around us and knowing how it works. An education is about learning why moose act the way they do, why stars explode, or the meaning of love according to Percy Shelley (or Haddaway).

Educated people know that drugs are bad, suicide is a waste of a beautiful person, and that money should be handled wisely. If you have graduated from high school, think of all the things you learned in 12 years, both from traditional teaching and “street smarts.” Where would you be without Mrs. Kendrick teaching you to multiply, or Dr. Northey telling you time and time again when to use “its” and “it’s”?

Maybe you won’t play opening night at the Chaos Theatre. Maybe you will. There’s nothing wrong with being rich or famous. But skipping out on ad education is a big mistake. Learn. Learn, learn, learn, all your life. Rivers Cuomo, lead singer of the band Weezer, sets a great example. He spent years attended college classes inbetween world-wide tours, finally earning a degree from Harvard University.

Careers for the College Student

College is a time for young kids to strike out on their own in the world. They begin making their own decisions, formulating future plans and what part they are going to play in the world. Part of that growing up phase is working. While hopefully college students have some experience from their teenage years, college is the time to start getting jobs in the field they are interested in. Working in college can be hard. You have to work around your class schedule and consequently you can’t work as much or as flexibly as other applicants to a job. However, there are some jobs that are great for students.

For one thin, universities run almost completely off students jobs. The cafeterias, cleaning crews, groundskeeping crews, ushers, teacher’s assistants; they are all students. Looking into getting a job with your college is a good idea; you’ll have class and work all in the same place.

Another good idea is online work. Find your niche on the Internet. Is it writing? There are dozens of good places to work as a freelance copywriter or creative content writer, and you can do it on your schedule.

Websites like eBay, or Craigslist have real potential for those with a business sense. With good products, a student can make a decent amount selling online.

Then there’s jobs in your town. Restaurants, call centers, they all need people who can work different shifts, and odds are, given their location, they are used to working with students.

Juggling school and work and normal life can all be tough, but it’s doable. Plus, you will graduate with a diploma and a resume. Work hard, study hard, and the world will be yours.

Technological Education

In almost every biography of a famous person from 100 years ago, they always seem to have gone off to college at age 17 and graduated with a Ph.D. at 22. And you think, “hey, how come I can’t have done that?” The simple reason is, you could learn everything you could about a field that fast. Nowadays, advances have been to such an extent that gaining the knowledge necessary to warrant an advanced degree take much, much longer.

Think about it: to read this webpage, you’ve already demonstrated mastery of reading, hand/eye contact, an excellent mastery of computers and their workings (which is huge in and of itself) and an understanding of Internet navigation. Wow. Congrats!

All that just to read a webpage. Today, we live surrounded by more and more advanced and complicated technology. While that means that the general intelligence level has risen, but also that more and more is required by each person just to get by. Software is used in iPods, gaming systems, microwaves, and almost everything else. Its vitally important, not only to daily life but for career advancement, continued education, and all other parts of life.

The best way to master new technologies is to find the ones that are interesting to you or applicable to your life. For example, learning Photoshop and other photo editing software can help you get work as a graphic artist, photographer, or printworker. Getting a degree in computer or electrical engineering would help you not only learn more about computers but stay on the cutting edge of the technological world.

Learning and the advance of technology, especially computer technology, will always be linked. it is necessary to learn how to work with new gadgets and software as they are developed. Those who learned early computer languages and none of the later ones were quickly outdated and no longer useful in the industry. By seeking after learning, you’ll always be safe and smart.

Back in School…Again

I graduated from high school in 2006, and flew off to college shortly thereafter, with my two suitcases and bass guitar. I was a heady 19 year old on top of the world, ready to learn new things and gain wisdom and knowledge. I took 18 months off to volunteer as a missionary and then another two years to work and “find myself” before returning to school. Now, as a 23-year old sophomore, I approach the classic education process in another way.

I’ve been in the work force for a few years now and it makes me look at school differently then I did after high school. It’s not the all-consuming event that it was then. I still have to work and pay my bills, maintain relationships, look to further my careers, in addition to studying and attending class. It’s not like before when I had a part-time job on the side but focused on school and having fun. Now, I work hard to gain my education while at the same time treating it like any of my other priorities.

With the economy suffering right now, attending school is great. There’s lots of jobs available for someone with my schedule; in short, student jobs. Sure, we’re all broke, but we’re going to come out of college with lots of skills and a degree and be ready for what will hopefully be a healthy and hungry job market. If you’ve been laid off, had your hours lower, or maybe your job doesn’t even exist anymore, think about heading back to school. For one thing, it’s a breeze compared to the perspective we held coming at it the first time, and secondly, what else are you going to do? Pound the pavement? That’s got to be done anyway. Get a nice part-time job and go a second degree, or even your first. It’s never to late to learn more and make yourself more attractive to future employers.

Entry Level Positions Helping Your Career

If you are in an entry level position and wondering how it can help your career, you should know that all job experience is good and makes you even more qualified for other positions, no matter where you are working. Here are a few skills that you can improve:

Good communication. With any position, you have to learn how to communicate with your boss and your fellow coworkers. Things that you may learn to communicate better about are always easily found, but here are some things in particular: your work schedule, how to ask for time off, and how to address an issue with a coworker. One important thing a college student in Georgia learned from her minimum-wage office job was how to communicate if she was running late. Instead of just turning up fifteen or twenty minutes late from a class, she learned to communicate to her boss that she was running behind and what time she would be in the office so her boss knew where she was. This allowed her boss to still rely on her worker.

Improved customer service. Most entry level jobs have workers dealing with cold sales calls or unhappy customers. This environment means that you will gain the experience and expertise in how to put a customer first, how to ruffle down the feathers of an unhappy client, and how to communicate to a customer that you are there to help and serve them. This means learning others-centered communication, which helps customers understand how you can help them, and can allow them to better understand you.

Self-motivation. Whatever job you are at, you can always improve how you motivate yourself on the job. This will improve your ability to follow direction, think for yourself, complete a set of tasks, and other things. Becoming excellent in these areas early on in your career will help you be able to learn other skills later on. If you can prove yourself always steady in your work ethic and reliability, you may put yourself at the front of the line for a promotion or new job.

Educating A Child to Succeed

A child can greatly benefit from his or her education from kindergarten through high school graduation. These years will not only teach a child how to write and do arithmatic, but, more importantly, can show a child how they can succeed as an adult. Here are three ways that a child can benefit from school.

Social Behavior. A school environment can be a good way for children to learn how to get along with other kids, how to handle another person that they don’t like, as well as how to stand strong under peer pressure. School is certainly not the only place that this can be learned, however. Children should also be gaining this experience at home, in how they relate to their siblings and their other friends. Other social settings can be even more beneficial, such as putting kids from several ages together so that kids learn a broader range of communication.

Responsibility. School gives kids the opportunity to learn how to turn their assignment in on time, how to follow instructions, and how to behave in a classroom environment. This is also a great place for kids to learn how to respond to authority, teaching them respect. The school setting allows children to begin to earn their grade and to see the good result of their work, and this can help create a good work ethic.

Intellect. Lastly, and this is what school is primarily supposed to do, a school should be able to teach children how to read and write effectively, how to research, how to think for themselves, and how to do arithmatic. Mathematics is a subject that should be given more attention in the schools, as it is a very necessary skill in a technology covered world. Schools should not only teach their children these things, but should challenge them as well.

Schools should not be the primary provider for these things, however. Parents and families are the people who should be instilling these values in their children. Teaching your child to succeed is one of the most important things you can do.

How a Higher Degree Helps Your Career

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If you are considering pursuing a higher degree, consider these benefits to getting a master’s degree or a doctorate.

Better qualifications. More education means you are even more qualified for the job you have, which increases your job security, and it makes you an even better candidate for jobs you are applying for. If what you are pursuing is something you are passionate about, you are even more likely to acheive good scores, which will demonstrate dedication and a good work ethic, both good things when looking to show your supervisors how dedicated you are to your work, or when trying to impress a possible employer.

Better pay. Getting a degree also usually means that you are eligible for a bigger paycheck, due to your qualifications. This is especially the case with teachers, but it holds well in other fields as well. Higher education is generally thought to indicate a good future for an employee, because it shows that they can follow through on deadlines, follow directions, and complete a task.

Better position. Higher education means that you are the more likely candidate for a promotion. When talking about your studies, be sure to mention how it made you more able to manange time and multiple activities, as well as how it improved your relationships, or how much you enjoyed working with others. This will demonstrate to your employer how your education would make you a better overseer, or a person with more responsibilities.

School is Such a Great Place… When it’s Over

Since you are reading this, it’s a reasonably conclusion that you probably went to school for at least a little while. While most things in the world can be handled with only a grade school education, everybody knows that the job market gives you a heck of a time if you haven’t gotten at least a high school diploma. But lately, it seems like even a college degree isn’t enough to give you the boost you need to get into a high paying profession. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. But the lure of going to grad school, and maybe emerging with a sparkling new degree when the job market has recovered a bit, is pretty tempting.

Think about how few jobs there are right now. If every person who wanted a job suddenly got one, we would have a job deficit of several million positions. True, I just made up the term “job deficit” and who knows if it’ll stick or not. But think about it – since we’re in debt in so many ways, we may as well be running in the red when it comes to jobs too. I’m sorry if this sounds a little bit like a combination of Ben Bernanke and Eeyore. What a strange mix that would be…

Anyway, school is great to have done, but you remember how much work it is, right? All the studying–from the GMAT class online to your last round of finals—requires plenty of time and effort. Actually taking tests is enough to give you an ulcer (or maybe it’s a stroke when you’re older – not pleasant either way). All in all, the whole experience just doesn’t sound that great. But then again, the rewards you can stand to receive after it’s over might just be worth all the hardships you’ll have to endure on the way to getting there.

Making Yourself a Good Employee

Wanting to make yourself more marketable? Here are some ways to either gain some job security or make yourself more appealing on job applications.

Learn a second language. Speaking a second language, particularly Spanish in the United States, means that you have the ability to connect with a wider audience and a bigger part of the population that your company is trying to reach. The key is to not become too focused on speaking completely fluently, but being able to comfortably communicate with another speaker in a work environment. The hardest part of speaking another language is reaching the level of comfort where you no longer fear a conversation or freeze up during one. Focus more on actual conversation instead of on grammar or writing.

Take initiative. A good employee is not afraid to think for himself. Instead of blitzing through your work so that you can waste time during the rest of your work day, make sure you are thorough in your projects, and tie up all loose ends, including contacting costumers you haven’t heard from in a while. Taking initiative also means communicating when you are having trouble meeting your deadlines or completing your work. Instead of having your boss come to you and ask why you are behind, approach him after you have been significantly less productive. Apologize for the delay, and explain the circumstance that created this, if it is appropriate. Note, however, that this communication will only be effective if you are usually punctual with your work. Constantly missing deadlines and always excusing them is certainly not good work behavior.

Continue education. This can be as intense as starting a Doctorate program, or as simple as taking a night class on the newest technology or management skills. Including this on a resume will prove to employers that you are constantly seeking to learn, and that you are not afraid to stretch yourself. If you are currently in a position, taking classes will show your supervisor that you are fully committed to your position and are looking for ways to improve your abilities.

Education for a Career

Wondering how to find the classes and experience that will prepare you for the workforce? Here are several classes that should not be missed.

Speech class. The number one fear in America is public speaking. However, it is also a part of any job that is almost always unavoidable. Instead of dreading how you will fumble the moment, take a speech class to become more comfortable speaking in front of people, as well as to learn about inflection and volume when speaking. You will be amazed at the confidence and understanding it will give you.

Advanced writing class. Whether drafting a business letter to a potential customer, or simply writing an email to your boss, you need to make sure that you can create clear, easily-understood, and error-free writing. This class will give you the basics on not only how to create pleasing-sounding sentences, but also how to form a good argument, as well as how to write a good narrative. Both of these skills will be an advantage when at a job.

Business class. Knowing how your company functions at its base, as well as knowing some basics about marketing and business strategy will make you a more informed part of your company’s team. Not only will you track better with your boss’s goals and ideas, but you will know how to implement this strategy more in your every day work environment, whether it means helping a customer or supporting another coworker.

Psychology class. Yet another class that you may not have had to take in your college days, a psychology course can be very beneficial when working with people. Understanding how a person generally processes compliments, information regarding work, and other events can help you respond to them best. This will allow you to communicate with them even clearer and to demonstrate in the best way that they will understand how you are trying to help them.

When trying to be your best at your job, these classes can help you thrive in your position and help you feel more satisfied in your work as well.