All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy

Essay by 2hvy4grvty August 2006

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Why does one have to go to school for at least twelve years? It is said that this is because education is what places one in society. Society tells us that education shows the people surrounding how one should be treated by their actions, which can be created by the amount of education that person has. But academic learning is increasingly replacing play and experiential hands-on education. Education is now seen as a race, and the earlier you start, the sooner and the better you finish; yet there is no evidence that this push for early academics produces any lasting advantage for children. No doubt the importance of education cannot be stressed enough, but it is the same with the importance of fun!

Let us look at it this way: One primary purpose education is stressed is for students to get into a good college or university, which determines one's career, which determines one's life.

As of now, colleges are steadily emphasizing the magnitude of a "well-rounded individual." Notice it doesn't say "student", which is defined as somebody who is partaking in education; it says individual because colleges and universities no longer look only for the brains of the school, but the person with both brains and activities under their belt. Instead of sticking your nose in a book, one also needs to put their strength into pursuing activities that display drive and initiative, advises Katherine Cohen of IvyWise. "Colleges are mainly looking for what we call `angular' kids," she says. "They're not looking for well-rounded students; they're looking for well-rounded student bodies. So in order to position yourself as an angular kid, you have to highlight those one or two passions, interests, strengths and run with them.." Others say, contrary to popular belief, colleges aren't looking...