As the semester comes to an end, many of us start to focus solely on our grades and GPAs. How will we get into grad school, or who will hire us with a low GPA? These concerns are legitimate, but for many this is our only concern. Students often view education as a stepping stone to getting a job when they often have no consideration for the subject matter of their classes. Has school become part of an equation that hopefully ends with a good job and a lot of money? Sadly enough, for many this is a reality and changes need to be made in order to maintain and strengthen the success of our nation.
The United States has always had reason to boast about its education. From the best universities in the world, to a public school system that gives many children the chance to succeed, citizens here have privileges most people in the world only dream of. But the education system has become so competitive for students that we care more about the result of a test than what we actually learn. In this nation competition is often viewed as beneficial. If harnessed properly, competition can be useful in education, but many students have realized it is possible to do well on tests while learning little or nothing of real substance. There is a disconnect here: we compete for grades, not knowledge. This is why the United States has been slipping in international ranks. In 2003, UNICEF ranked the U.S. at 18 out of 24 nations in regard to effectiveness of our educational system, and performance continues to decline.
President Barack Obama nderstands the need to educate our nation's youth. He addressed the ever-important issue of K-12 education during his visit to Madison, despite having bigger political fish to fry. He understands the need to invest in our future. Governor Jim Doyle and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett have staked huge amounts of political capital on the difficult task of fixing the Milwaukee Public School system. Democrats have been and continue to be incredibly committed to helping all American students succeed. By working to provide all children with a solid education, we can efficiently and effectively reduce social ills like crime and poverty and help more of our fellow citizens achieve their own American dream.
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we have world famous professors, state-of-the-art research facilities, an enormous variety of classes, and the freedom to study whatever we choose. But all too often we focus only on our degree and our individual classes become mere stepping stones to gain a higher goal. Instead of enriching ourselves with knowledge, we do the bare minimum and take shortcuts to get our desired grade.
The truth is that the world-class education we receive here could be extremely beneficial in the future. Our education should entail gaining an incredible wealth of knowledge that gives us perspective about the world and different ways of life. And through a broad and diverse area of subjects, we can ultimately find where our interests lie and how to use them to make a difference. In this view, education is meant to open our eyes to the rest of the world so we can learn where we fit in.
So with the semester coming to an end, ask yourself what you have learned. My hope for you is that the past three months have been more than just a stepping stone to a higher goal. In the midst of final exam stress, take some time to reflect on what you have learned and how it has changed your perspective.
Ultimately, I would hope that you would have a deeper knowledge of the world and a better view your life. If we can embrace education as a tool to learn more about this world, we can use it to better our lives and make lasting impacts in others.
James Meincke is the communications chair of the college democrats. This is the final article by the Collge Democrats. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
