I Learn More with a Little Help from My Friends

As the end of summer and the beginning of the school year looms around the corner there are a mix of emotions. The freedom of summer lies in stark contrast to what seems to be the prison of a classroom. Why do we think of the classroom as a prison? It is a place where new ideas are brought forth everyday.

Ideas and concepts can change the world. As John Green discusses in his TedTalk, "The Nerd's Guide to Learning Everything Online," a small town was created because of a paper town placed on a map to help map makers detect copyright frauds. He goes on to talk about how he used to dislike learning until he found a community of learners that enjoyed discovering something new. He explains that they pulled him out of his sense of "school is lame" because they were a group of people "[...] who thought that my ironic, oh-so-cool disengagement wasn't clever or funny, but [...] was a simple and unspectacular response to very complicated and compelling problems" [1].

[...] who thought that my ironic, oh-so-cool disengagement wasn't clever or funny, but [...] was a simple and unspectacular response to very complicated and compelling problems [1].

With the dwindling days of summer take the time to learn one new interesting tidbit everyday. Find a YouTube channel that discusses scientific concepts in interesting ways, like Minute Physics [2]. Talk to your friends about what you learn. Try and fit the concept into your everyday lives, like John Green's friend using John's time spent playing Super Mario Kart to explain opportunity cost [1].

Learning doesn't have to be boring or uncool. It does seem useless to sit in a classroom to be taught information you "won't use in the real life," but that uselessness is on you. It is your decision to take what you are being taught and apply it. Use what's left of your summer to get geared up to learn. You never know what idea you will uncover that could change your world.

[1] John Green. "The Nerd's Guide to Learning Everything Online." online video clip. TedTalk. TedTalk, November 2012. Web. 26 July 2016. 
[2] Minute Physics. YouTube. YouTube, 20 June 2011. 26 July 2016.