Learning by doing

College is full of opportunities for us to learn. Sometimes, we (and by we, I mean, me) feel like we are not getting anything out of these classes that we’re paying so much for. For whatever reason, it seems that professors are not actually teaching, and we’re supposed to just read the curriculum and take exams when they are scheduled.

The design department is a bit different in that regard, just because we don’t really have readings, and we don’t have exams. We have projects that are worth a certain amount of points and maybe a “semester project” that is our final. But still, the concept applies. We can feel like we’re not being “taught” anything.

Truth of the matter, as I come closer to graduation, I realize that I am being taught. Just not how I was in elementary school. I’m being taught how to learn, how to thrive, how to make decisions, and how to gain information without explicitly being told the information I’m seeking.

I’m not entirely sure that this was what my professors had in mind, or if they knew from the beginning this would be the best way to approach the situation. By no means am I stating that my professors did not teach --- they did, in fact. But not how I was accustomed to.

The bottom line is that while you can expect to learn valuable information about your field of study in college, the best way to learn is by really getting your feet wet and doing whatever it is you want to learn about.