Reflection and Confusion

When I looking back my educational experience, I am not surprised to find that I spent most of my time sitting in the classrooms and listening as carefully as I could to every word the teacher said. Yes, I learned a lot from various kinds of lectures delivered by teachers and successful people, however, for my educational autobiography, I wrote a dialogue happened between a street cleaner and his daughter, which I consider as one of the most important lessons that I have ever had.

The conversation between the father and the daughter provided me with a great opportunity to redefine success. Now in my perspective, success has nothing to do money and fame, it is something with personal contribution. Some people, especially those from lower-class, have much less resources and opportunities than most of us, and therefore it is nearly impossible for them to move up to the upper class. Of course they are not the “successful people” according to the traditional definition. But, they are still making their own contribution to the world: clean the streets, for example. As a matter of fact, a meaningful life does not equal to a successful life

What’s more, I first time discovered that learning does not merely happen in the classroom. Learning knowledge of certain subjects is not the whole part of education. It is more crucial for me to learn from people, which can be made on anytime and at anywhere. I can learn by talking to different people, by observing them, or even by just standing silently and listen carefully to their conversations. Each time I talk, each time I look, each time I listen to others, I actually open a door to their life, which gives me chances to experience their happiness, sadness and all other emotions. For me, this kind of learning is also extremely meaningful. I remembered a report which told about a Chinese girl with great grades didn’t chose to traveling around the world instead of going to the university used to cause a lot of discussions in China. In most Chinese people’s mind, the common way to success is go to the university, find a decent job after graduation. But is this true? I don’t know. I admire the girl who chose not to go to the university, and I strongly believe that she will definitely gain many things that can never be learned for students who chose to enter the college.

While I was writing and even afterwards, I’m still not entirely sure whether the learning happens in the classroom or the one happens out of the classroom is more important for me. If I have enough money that allows me travel around that world, will I still choose to go to the college? I don’t  know.