How To Learn – What You Don’t Learn in Classes?

Sunday, February 11, 2024

If you ask me today, DO WE LEARN EVERYTHING IN CLASS? My answer will be ‘NO’. However, the catch is “you don’t learn everything in a classroom but the environment in class prepares you to learn new skills and adapt to different types of learning atmosphere in present and future”. So, you learn ‘a lot’ in the classroom and a positive and an apt classroom environment prepares you for the learning which will happen outside the classroom.

There are a lot of things you can-LEARN, and you do-LEARN unknowingly by just being in a classroom. Each one of you learns these things either actively by participating in the class learning procedure or you learn them passively by just being present in the class. A few examples of active learning are: Knowing your course content or grasping academic or practical knowledge related to your course. Few examples of passive learning can be time management, discipline, better decision making, leadership qualities, teamwork, diversity and much more.

As a student when you convince yourself to enter a classroom you are learning all these skills as an outcome of being in the class consistently. These skills help you to succeed and grow in your life. This consistency will take you a long way: even on some days if you do not like doing anything you will still get results if you stay consistent. Some people say consistency becomes their motivation. This is so true for students. As Albert Einstein said, Wisdom is not a part of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.

Never stop - dreaming,
Never stop - believing,
Never - give up,
Never - stop trying,
And
Never -stop learning.
- Roy T. Bennett

Let’s use an example to explain this, ‘When you go for an interview, you see so many candidates around you and in the end only those get selected who STANDS OUT in the crowd’. So, the one who gets the job is not necessary the one who might be a high academic achiever always but can be the candidate who is proactive, is adaptable, is a real team player, is a learner, is creative, who is optimistic, is passionate, he believes in himself, someone who can be held accountable, and this list continues for ever. Keep in mind, your emotional intelligence (EI) plays an important role in your overall personality and helps you to stand out. So, you have to stand out by working on your personality and EI.

The one who follows the crowd …
will usually go no further than the crowd.
Those who walk alone are likely to find themselves in places….
no one has ever been before.
-Unknown

As a student you should participate in any type of activity that you like according to your interest and aptitude. You can join a sport, you can get a part-time work or internship, you can join a competition, attend a training or a workshop, learn an online course of your interest, start a blog, write a review online for something you have knowledge for and there are endless ways to learn and, unlearn things. Now, when you decide to devote your time and energy to complete any task or activity you like you are automatically exposing yourself to new learning and this commitment in life is important. It helps you to grow, to stand out from many others who do not do this. At the end of the day, we all have the same 24 hours in a day and how you decide to use your 24 hours matters in your life. We all might be equally stressed and busy but any individual who can overpower these routines will always stand out. You can always find a way to differentiate yourself from others, to motivate yourself and move ahead from where you are. Always, remember a learner always wins. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast but a learner wins. Be a learner and learn new things in a way you can.

Rupali Bhagat, Senior Instructor- Business and HR, Australian University. PHRI, CERTIV, BBA, B.Ed., PGDBA(HR), PGJMC(Journalism), MA(ECO.), Lecture in AU, Volunteer in INJAZ and LOYAC, Yoga Instructor, Certified Life, and wellness Coach.

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