That’s what I go to school for

Ah, community college. Where anybody can go, where nobody wants to be, where I have spent several semesters of my life so far becoming, as my history professor puts it, “educated.”

I enjoy expanding my knowledge on different subjects, adding to my vocabulary, and learning to think critically about current issues. While I haven’t necessarily enjoyed every class, I have enjoyed learning. I mean, that’s what we go to school for, right?

What continually surprises me is the number of students that don’t seem to even care about their education. They come late to class, leave early, complain about having to sit in on lectures, don’t participate, complain about the teachers, talk during class, text during class, procrastinate, complain about having to learn and memorize, blah, blah, blah – the list goes and and on – then they wonder why they’re not passing the class. Well duh!

While I can’t say that I’ve never been guilty of any of the above, I can say that I’ve learned a lot from the mistakes that I’ve made. I’ve learned to prioritize and not put things off; to get up early enough to make it to class on time; to relax when I get stressed out; to ask for help; to make new friends when I don’t have friends around; to risk feeling stupid by asking questions; to apply what I’ve learned to life; to develop self-confidence; to write a paper half an hour before it’s due (which I don’t recommend); to stand up for what’s right, even if I’m the only one; to study in advance rather than cramming the night before exams.

My favorite thing about being at the community college is that I can pick whatever classes I want for my major and electives. My favorite classes include Arabic (I can actually read/write a foreign language!! even if I don’t understand it that well), History (it makes the difference between winning and losing on Family Feud when you have to know what purpose the Missouri Compromise served), Speech (while I really dislike public speaking, I liked that it forced to me step out of my comfort zone and gain confidence in myself. And hey, a class field trip to get pancakes wasn’t bad either), and my most favorite class was Fencing!! (I would definitely recommend it) 😉

This is my last semester before graduation  – unless I decide to come back to study something different…. Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to moving on to something new, and trusting God to hold my future in His hands.

 

History, Geology, and things we care about

In past semesters, I usually learned what I had to in my classes to get through them.This semester seems different though. I feel like my eyes are being opened to really learn things about life rather than just terms from a textbook.

It started in history class, where we are currently learning about how indentured servants were initially used as a cheap source of labor for the early American colonists. My professor was talking about how Europe sent orphans over to America because no one really cares about the orphans, therefore, they were good for labor in the tobacco fields. A girl in class spoke up and was arguing that people really do care about orphans. He (professor) pointed out that we as Americans send money over to third world countries to pay for the kids over there to have food to eat, but we don’t really care about them. After all, no one goes out to the streets just to spend time playing with orphans, or taking them into our homes because we really care.

It wasn’t what he said about the orphans that hit me, it was the thought, “What do I really care about that I invest my time into?”

A lot of times in life we claim to really care about something or someone, but when it comes right down to it, are we saying that because we really care, or because we want to make ourselves feel better??

For example, do I really care enough about my friends enough to actually invest my time to pray for them? Or is it just lip service, so that I can say I care about them? Do I make it a point to greet new people at church because I want them to feel welcome? Or do I pass them by, thinking that someone else will?

The second lesson came from geology class, where I worked with my lab partner and another girl to identify igneous rocks. We were stuck on one rock in particular that they were claiming was one type, and I was sure was another. I tried to explain my position, and why it was what I thought it was and not what they came up with. They were both convinced that they were right, and dismissed my conclusions…until the teacher came around. When they asked her to confirm their answer, she said it was incorrect and asked me what I thought it was. I then told her my reason for why I came up with my answer. After she walked away, both of my lab partners said, “Smarty pants.”

The point of this story is not to point out that I was right, but rather to illustrate our attitudes when learning. So many times, I have been guilty of what my lab partners did to me. Instead of just admitting that I was wrong and asking for help, I make excuses for myself, and end up not learning what I could have.

Our attitudes have everything to do with how we learn. Do you only want to think you’re the best, or do you truly want to learn? Are you willing to give up your pride and learn from others?

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.”

1 Peter 5:6 NLT