Education Through Experience

Ever since high school I have felt restricted by my academics. It was as if I was just another product from the factory of pubescence placed in a giant recycled cardboard box and shipped off to continue to be shaped and molded by higher education. I needed to be out in the world exploring and applying what I was learning rather than basing my intelligence off the 25% chance I answered the multiple choice question correctly on my last science exam. Prepared with the ambition to study my ass off and play later, I entered college as the normal confused yet confident freshman that thought I had my life planned out for the next 12 years. Slowly I began to realize that it was the out-of classroom experiences I was having that truly allowed me to take full advantage of my college education. After my first two years I had learned that rather than stressing about every exam and slaving away in the library until the wee hours of the morning I learned to get out and educate myself through experience. Now I’m not advocating a textbook burning, or skipping out on classes; far from it! What I am advocating for is experiential learning in the classroom to enhance student’s academic understanding and application. The feeling of applying what you have learned in every day life situations is as invigorating as putting 20 fireballs in your mouth at once. It electrifies every sense in your body that you start to sweat out passion.