Welcome to 2017, where the knowledge of the Pythagorean Theorem or the periodic table isn’t necessarily going to ‘cut it’.
When we’re in high school we are convinced that every single thing that we are taught there is going to be a life long lesson, but realistically who has seen half the things we’ve learned in our lives as of now? I’ve met so many people who still try to come up with academic conclusions for matters that just need a little bit of common sense. I think that’s where the issue of being only book smart doesn’t necessarily cut it.
Being intelligent in regards to academics is great, but when you take students who are so involved in school and put them in the real world, they almost have no idea what to do with it. Don’t get me wrong, not everyone lacks common sense, but certain people have so much knowledge in the academic aspects of life where they have no knowledge on how to survive the real world. It may occur to some that the knowledge of the real world isn’t necessarily important at all, but it is almost more important than any academic skill you will obtain in life.
When left to deal with real life situations, one with the book smart knowledge has a fixed idea of how to solve problems. They’re usually used to following specific procedures or processes. When they are brought face to face with an issue that’s in need of an immediate solution they are often stumped. Whereas students with the knowledge of common sense or real life experience get much further in life. They tend to have a much better idea on how to adjust and problem solve when given a problem. They look at the bigger picture.
I think that’s the issue with the comparison of being book smart and having real life experience. Students that understand what it takes to make it in the real world will know how valuable real life experience is . They’re able to see problems and understand them much better. While students who are book smart can only solve problems with limited knowledge.
It is interesting to see how students react to situations with the knowledge and abilities they possess. Having a sound education is important because you don’t only receive information, but your brain learns how to store information and apply it when need be. However, being book smart isn’t the only thing that will help you succeed in life. If you think your work colleagues are going to be impressed that you were a straight A student, think again. The world outside of education is tough and it’s important that we learn how to carry ourselves outside of the classroom as well as inside.
Being book smart isn’t a flaw, I hope it doesn’t seem like I’m saying it is, because it really isn’t. It’s just important to prioritize both senses of intelligence because you need both skills to succeed in life. Having knowledge about life after school will lead you to a path of life with much more success.
Don’t forget that even if you graduate with honors, you can’t claim to be an expert. You’re going to find loads of students that will not pursue any more education, and that is fine.
However, you should remain a student for life. Keep learning about language, culture, people, and how different things are around the world. It will force you to become a better person which is what I’ll assume you want to be.
