The Downfalls of Education
By: Saul Danial
Tags: Life, Education, Change, Risk

My name is Saul Danial, and my story is very unique. You see, in life, our family members, friends, authority figures, etc. have our life figured out before we do. The people in our lives think they know us better than we know ourselves. However, this is not the case. In today’s day and age, we really don’t have a set path. Everyone has a unique journey, and we all arrive at our destination in our own way. Unfortunately, school does not allow for that. Before I elaborate, here is some background. I am currently attending an accelerated high school program (grades 11–12) where I not only graduate with a high school diploma but I also graduate with a 2-year degree. Before I joined this program, I attended a private school from kindergarten to the 10th grade. During my time at this private school, I thought I wanted to be an engineer. I thought that because I knew how to use a computer better than my peers could that this was my calling. It would take almost 2 years for me to figure out that I was not even close to my calling. This accelerated high school program forced me to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life as if all hell would break loose if I did not know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. You see, this program does not allow for too much experimentation with multiple majors nor does it allow for the freedom that is usually associated with college. Instead, the experience is rather dehumanizing. This program turns students into products wherein students have to market themselves if they want to succeed. But, what students fail to understand is that this definition of success is not defined by the student, it is defined by the school. In the midst of applying for colleges and making sure that they have good SAT scores and a high GPA, students fail to ask themselves why they are doing what they are doing. They become so engulfed in the hustle and bustle of school, they’re passions are left behind so they can begin a life of impressing others. These students will go from being at school from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. to getting a job in an office from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M where instead of trying to impress professors, they will try to impress their boss so that they can get a raise. They will always be an employee working under someone, and if they had only stopped to think if what they were doing was worth it, maybe they could have ended up elsewhere and these are the type of questions that lead to corporate burnout and regret. Individually, we all bring something unique to the table, and because of institutionalized education, we are now failing to recognize that. School staff members instill fear of failure within children so that they do well in school forcing children to think education within the confines of school is the only way they can succeed. Instead of having a unique journey, we are all pushed through the confines of school and ending up at the same destination. Why are we so afraid to put away societal norms? Just because everyone else is going to college does not mean that you should go to. We are all different and instead of celebrating our differences, we hide them. If you skip school to do something you want to do such as work or pursue an interest that is not taught, you are punished. There is no room for creativity in schools anymore, it is no different than a prison. Students are taught by professors who have very limited life experience, and instill fear into their students by saying that you need a degree to succeed! But, have you stopped to define success for your life? Have you as an individual thought about how you want to get there? We need to be okay with being different. So what if our peers with degrees are driving nicer cars than us? They also have debt and a shit boss to report to. The world is driven by unique ideas, not corporate clones. Do not be afraid to take risks! Take pleasure in the fact that you don’t have to have it all figured out yet. I want to start a distillery, and experience trumps any kind of degree for my definition of success. I may have to wait tables, bartend, and learn how to distill for the next 10 years which is fine by me. While my friends are stuck in a building for 8 hours surrounded by people that got the same degree as them and struggling to pay student loans, I will be pursuing my passion. This is not to say that trying to get a job at a prestigious institution is wrong. If anything, I want you to ask yourself why you want that job and is that what you want or what your family wants? You miss all the shots you don’t take, so why not avoid regret? As for me, I will avoid the unnecessary pressure and debt that is brought on by school to pursue distilling. I want a unique journey because I dislike being like everyone else. I want to build something with blood, sweat, and tears. I want to risk it all because we only live once.