Personal Statement on Education - Essay Example

One of the most important lessons I learned during my educational years is the integration of practical and theoretical knowledge. With this kind of perspective, I managed to intertwine learning and development of my character. As Martin Luther King suggests, the goal of true education is the combination of intelligence and character. Intelligence is our ability to gain knowledge and to learn the theoretical information given through school. Character is our personal attitude, perspective, behavior, especially towards other people.

It is the way we interact and communicate with other people, whether face to face or not. I agree with King’s perspective about true education. Education is not merely about the theories or knowledge we gain from studying. The intelligence that we develop through our years in school must be combined with the character we developed through the years, as well. For me, education is not merely about learning the theoretical information offered by our professors and the books we are reading.

It is the foundation of learning and personal development. It is not merely memorizing or stocking information in our minds, rather, it is supposed to be our guide in being able to think intensively, critically and creatively. That is the reason colleges do not spoonfeed information, rather, our mentors find ways to force us to think intensively, such as in essay exams, oral exams or even just the finals. Because of our schooling, our formal education, we become equipped not only with knowledge but also a critical way of thinking, which is more essential in facing the hard reality of life once we leave school.

We should always remember that it is not always knowledge that will be the basis of our success, rather it is the way we use this knowledge. And so, I strongly agree with King that the goal of true education is the combination of intelligence and character. What is the use of intelligence when we don’t have the right character or attitude in life. Thus, this points to what true education is. It is essentially how we put into practice what we have learned through our formal education. It is to strengthen our character based on what we learned and believe in through everything we have gathered through our formal education.

That is what true education should bring, not merely information but intelligence and character into one. I realized this even more when I was put in a place wherein I need to practice critical thinking, which is practically what I have been doing in school. It was a choice of what school to go into. I need to determine the pros and cons of leaving one school for the other. The decision I made was not just because of what I know about the school, rather it was about what I believe in. It was more about how I think the school will help me in developing not only my knowledge about things but also my character.