As a graduate from the University of Toronto with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Psychology, who has also recently submitted an application for medical school, I’ve come to learn that I, too, am not book smart.
Considering my academic background, my appreciation for formal education is quite obvious: I deeply respect academic excellence. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to advance humanity by using the skills the institution has taught you.
There’s nothing uncool about being a strong and diligent student. Get that white paper to hang on the wall. Putting oneself through rigorous academic programs is sparring for the mind; intellectual exercise, and as an ENFJ, I’m here for it. However, the topic of education gets interesting when knowledge is confused with wisdom.
Make no mistake, I struggled quite a bit in high school. Nothing too serious, but I certainly wasn’t on the Dean’s list on a consistent basis. Grade 11 and 12 are arguably the most important years; post-secondary is right around the corner.
As I began to transform from the kid who didn’t put too much effort into her studies to the student arguing with the teacher over half-marks, a revelation fell upon me as I questioned why I never seemed to score higher than B+ (in most of my courses). I was a ‘WHY’ kid.
Our education systems are not without flaws; however, formal education is undoubtedly a system that rewards kids who are incredibly adept at answering ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how’. In fact, it’s a system that predominantly teaches and tests just that.
I can’t recall what year the Traite de Versailles happened. I cannot define what a molecule is. I can’t remember the scientist who discovered DNA. I’ve never really fully understood the parliamentary system in Canada.
WHY?
Again, not to say that there’s anything wrong with knowing incredibly important dates, people or processes, but as much as we’ve learned about who, what, when, where, and how the Holocaust came to pass, pourquoi did it come to pass?
I credit my appeal for understanding ‘WHY’ things are the way they are to my spiritual upbringing. Rooted in Christianity, I’ve grown up understanding that there’s always more than meets the eye—after all, that’s what faith is all about.
The Book of Ephesians eludes to the same notions, as it reads,
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the rulers of Darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)
As per this text, our five senses are not enough, and it certainly felt that way as I was growing up.
Fact: The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell. But why is it maternally inherited? Is it a coincidence that the words ‘maternal’ and mitochondria’ start with the same letter? Assuming that we stick to the Biblical text of creation and consider Adam the first living human, why does his name sound almost identical to the basic building block of matter—the atom?
Growing up with these thought processes never landed me anywhere closer to an A- on multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank tests. Despite learning how to ace those types of tests, I never felt like I truly learned anything.
It was no different in post-secondary school. Immunology was my favourite course, but it was the most strenuous; studying required my undivided attention and strong consolidation, yet midterms were still a bust.
It was when my professor asked the class why a specific enzymatic process needed to happen before the next reaction followed, that I realized my problem: I was memorizing information instead of developing insight.
Why did it take me so long to realize that developing insight was my strength? It was scary, yet a relief when I came to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going to get through this course like the rest of my peers.
Eventually, my understanding of immunology grew so deep that it was all I could ever talk about. I was so immersed and excited about my new level of understanding that on some visits to my chiropractor, he’d quiz me on relevant material to explain the reason for the swelling and agonizing pain of my strained neck.
Quest for wisdom
A good professor, efficient office hours and detailed flashcards were great aids, but going out to public talks about HIV/AIDS and listening to real-life stories from patients were even better reinforcements. This allowed me to gain a robust understanding of immunology outside of textbook definitions.
Immunology wasn’t just a science anymore. It became politics, economics and sociology. I discovered that connecting fact to value, and value to purpose, was every reason why ‘what’ never cut it for me.
I implore you ‘WHY’ kids to continue on your quest not only for knowledge, but also for wisdom and understanding, in anything you do. If you’re anything like me, I trust that you understand that those three things are not the same thing.
For us, education has never had anything to do with our learning. Though knowledge is information that you can use, remember that wisdom is and will always be an active and continuous pursuit.
«LECTURE CONNEXE» LEARNING OBJECTIVES: what’s the objective of learning?
