Get the Most out of Your Education Dollar

I have been an instructor in a career college since 2001, with an average of six classes per week and have taught many hundreds of students. It's one of those things I had wanted to do as part of my career and I pursued it. Having had the pleasure of delivering almost 2,000 lectures, and seeing many different groups of students pass through the system (and some get left behind), I have witnessed how different people, with different agendas, spend their time in such an institution.

Serious students generally take good notes, follow through with their assignments and do well on tests and exams. Those are usually the same students who sit within the first half of the room. The not so serious students usually sit further back, arrive late constantly, don't take great notes, forget about assignments and ask: "Test? What test?"

Aside from me appearing to illustrate a clear division between good and bad, I really want to share some insights into how one can get the most from their education and not just because someone is paying for it. In fact, the money spent is a given; it's what happens after the program that counts - namely, looking for work.

Getting the Answers
No instructor knows everything about their field of work. Many years ago, when I was self-educating for my career through the public library system and beyond, I wrote down a statement that had a profound effect on my education: "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know." That was a very powerful statement that kept me on the path of educating myself to this very day. You can't just learn a bunch of stuff and then get a career. There is a need for upgrading one's education as time goes by.

Smart students listen to their instructors and should be able to challenge them occasionally (but not all the time - see below). Smart students write down information and do their own research if they need more information as not every bit of information can be supplied in a single lecture (lectures supply useful 'leads'). Smart students ask relevant questions which were well thought out ahead of time, then they write down the information given in the answer. Also, if invited, they contact the instructor for more information.

What is 'Education'?
I found out that the word education comes from the Latin word 'educo', meaning to draw forth or draw from within - from an individual who is learning. On the journey of education, a person can easily believe that they know it all, but they can't. It is wise to listen more than one talks in order to get the best quality education.

Knowing 'where' to get the answers is often more beneficial than having all the answers. What I mean is that the formal process of education must end at some time so that a person can begin their career. I've known people who were professional students and who appeared to be afraid of the real world of work. I've also known people with one or more degrees working in a completely different field because they had lost the desire to pursue what they thought it was they wanted to do for a living.

In some fields, the most educated person is not always the best candidate for the position (especially in the Entertainment Industry).

Challenging Information
Whenever I listen to 'hearsay', I politely nod and make a note to research said hearsay. If I know something about it, I challenge it, but not in a negative way - I offer more information for the hear-sayer to consider. If I know a lot about it, I politely attempt to correct the hear-sayer because I don't want to come across as hostile - that's not a good communication tactic.

Any student has a right to challenge information when in a classroom or lecture theater at the appropriate time, but they should avoid disrupting the session in consideration of others.

I believe that the internet is full of useful information, if one knows how to sift through all the misinformation first; it's called research. A simple search won't suffice; many searches must be done to get deep into the topic at hand. There should be qualified references cited and reading done (from actual books).

How to get the Most Out of Your Education Dollar
1) Develop good listening skills
2) Challenge information in a positive way
3) Do your own research after a class
4) Follow up with an instructor or ask them for more leads if they are too busy
5) Write out intelligent questions to ask after the session is over - questions are often answered before the end
6) Avoid disruptive behavior by arriving on time and not eating or drinking food in a class or lecture theater (hungry people will have a hard time concentrating as will others if the smell makes them sick - not to mention the possibility of food allergies!)
7) Take good notes! If you have a difficult time with this, take advantage of the fact that you can visit a student mentor or career adviser - after all, you are paying for it.

Cheers and good learning!

- Buck Moore
thinkWORKnotJOB.com