Musings: Students can discover treasures beyond class
College offers students a wide range of opportunities to explore, discover, create, participate, and reflect inside and outside school walls. Credit: istock
It was a long time ago, but I still remember the sign that my fourth-grade teacher posted on her classroom door on the first day of school: Learning is more valuable than silver or gold. The words greeted me each day as I entered her class at Stewart Manor School.
Truth be told, the sign kind of puzzled me. I had never thought of school — or learning, for that matter — as having much to do with silver, gold, or other material riches. But when I asked my parents about it, they said that education was every bit as valuable as money. And they added that learning should be a lifelong pursuit.
In four decades as an educator, I have spent countless hours talking with college students about the importance of learning — and of stretching themselves — while in school. I’ve shared how college enhanced my life, introducing me to new ideas, inspiring an interest in the world, fostering an understanding and appreciation of life’s complexities, and giving me the confidence to speak my mind.
Knowing that many of today’s students are concerned about finding a career path, I’ve also encouraged them to explore career interests during their college years. But I have cautioned against viewing their entire college experience through this single lens. College offers such a wide range of opportunities to explore, discover, create, participate, and reflect: These shouldn’t be overlooked.
I like to think my advice has resonated with students — a good number, anyway. I recall the student who decided to register to vote after viewing a video in a history class about suffragists who’d been imprisoned for demanding access to the ballot. I recall the student who was inspired by his environmental science class to start an environmental awareness club on campus. I recall the student who attended a campus talk by civil rights icon John Lewis and who decided afterward to join a local political campaign. And I recall the student who wrote that reading “The Great Gatsby” made her rethink her assumptions about the American dream.
Are all students moved to stretch themselves in college? Regrettably not. But for those willing to engage their education and do more than sit passively by, important learning awaits. And it rivals silver or gold any day.
— Rich Conway, Massapequa
The writer is professor emeritus at Nassau Community College.
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