By Adonis

Thousands of young Americans flock to the websites of colleges and universities on a daily basis every fall. Few of them, at 17 or 18 years of age, truly understand the ramifications of what they are about to do. The stated intentions of “going to school to get a job” or to “do what is naturally the correct next step” rarely yields an end result as basic as the aforementioned stated intentions.

The term education applies to more that that of formal academic instruction. Education is an occurrence done unto oneself every moment of life. The malleable years of latter adolescence are a time when the neuroplasticity of the young brain is met with the social understanding that those in their late teens have reached a threshold of serious decision-making in a manner that has grand implications on society as a whole.

The actions that one takes when performing a challenging task in turn create changes unto the individual. A process that involves no challenge generally yields no positive change. Many students who pick “easy” courses of study and use their free time for mindless tasks essentially leave college nearly the same as when they arrived, save for basic changes in human growth and development.

What is the correct course of action? It is foolish for one to undertake challenges that they are woefully unprepared for. If one knows that they will not succeed even in the slightest at something, they shouldn’t waste their time or resources jumping into it. Logical steps towards a goal are the most efficient course of action. If a powerlifter wants to run a marathon but knows that they can’t run a mile, they should start there. Once they can comfortably run a 5K, they need to focus on being able to run a 10K, and so on.

Strengthening weaknesses is a task that all should strive towards. To undertake such a task, one must be prepared to break their own ego, accept criticism, track progress, and ask for feedback. This transformative process is what education actually is. Whether academic, physical, social, or profession, any sort of growth in these areas has a place in one’s education.