Go and Learn Passionately

They say if you don’t live for something then you don’t live for anything. That’s what builds up our passion in our daily lives, keeps us motivated, and striving to achieve our personal dreams and goals. Passion. It’s a beautiful word in the English language and within it exists not only romantic lure but a deep affection that can’t truly be described. Whether you want to learn about andragogy or maths, it is useful to continue learning as we grow to become more knowledged and skillful.

That passion that you have for whatever drives you in your personal life should be the same you should translate into the classroom as a student. Often times we get caught up in the notion of trying to “be the best” or get hung by the allusion of grades. However this is not what the world of knowledge is meant to be. Learning is both for the curious and logically-minded, however learning passionately is a skill that cannot be taught in any 101 class.

You can only do well in classes where you love what you’re learning. Period.  But what does it mean to do well? Pass a test? Get an “A”? It’s being able to transcend all the trifleness that a red marker and a number brings to you and being able to attain some larger meaning that enhances your personal insight on the world around you. It’s that feeling you get after genuinely enjoying a course lecture. It’s reading to know more than what is expected of you. It’s not caring what your grade is but being a student of the world. It’s learning for the love it, to satiate the mind. That’s the beautiful gift of knowledge.

And yes, when you like what you’re learning that special little number on your transcript might go up in your favor, but there’s more to it than that. You’ll begin to see that learning passionately can drive you towards a whole new understanding of yourself. And we all know that introspection is golden.

“A love affair in knowledge never ends in heartbreak.” –Michael Garret Marino