Elvenoaks Concepts
Elvenoaks Concepts Higher Education and Learning
Why do people learn?
Most students probably come to college looking for "certification" for a career. Students desire the degree and the grade point average to increase their chances of gaining and holding a career position.
Why not? A good job allows them to be happy. It provides financial security, a modest amount of leisure time, and a sense of pride and accomplishment. In this way, knowledge becomes a means to an end -- financial and career happiness.
Others may find enjoyment in the learning process itself. Their happiness comes from gaining the knowledge or information that allows them to more fully understand the world. They feel more in control of their surroundings. They desire to know. In this case, knowledge is an end in itself.
In both cases, learning and knowledge are directly related to happiness. Through knowledge, people can more completely realize their own individual desires, whether those desires involve career goals, financial goals, leisure goals, or knowledge-for-knowledge's-sake goals. Learning, then, helps a person express their true self.