Without the shadow of a doubt, studying is acknowledged by many as one of the top priorities for students around the globe. However, whilst there are millions of schools and teachers who advocate this behaviour as a way to spend one’s time, others disagree. In this essay, I will explain why I tend to agree with the latter.
Firstly, one of the main reasons why learning is widely regarded as worthwhile and beneficial for a person’s development is that it provides them with the necessary tools that will hopefully avail them later down the line. For instance, when looking for potential employees, employers tend to prioritize those who are more educated. This is partly due to the belief that those who are more qualified will generally be better workers since a higher level of education could imply various desirable qualities, including perseverance, patience, dignity, and courtesy. Therefore, it is commonly proposed that spending a considerable portion of one’s daily life on learning is highly beneficial as in addition to equipping one with wisdom, the process can also help him or her improve their overall character.
However, one major flaw of studying is that forgetting is an inevitable part of the process due to human nature. Without constant revision, people find it extremely challenging to recall accurately what they have memorized earlier, and the more they study, the more they will forget. To exemplify this, after the summer holidays, teachers will soon discover that the vast majority of their students cannot accurately recall the concepts studied previously. It is thus a pervasive issue amongst all age groups that individuals will have to waste a significant amount of time revising what they have learnt. Therefore, this then raises the question of whether or not learning is worth spending one’s time on in the first place, as the so-called wisdom obtained will eventually fade away, together with all of the seemingly admirable qualities developed.
Another major drawback of studying is that it can potentially blunt one’s ability to create, thereby preventing the proposal of innovative ideas. In the current school system, examination is used as an unquestionable method to somehow judge students. Many, in fact, tend to view exam results as a reflection of children’s intelligence, although in reality, it is merely an indication of how close their answers are to the mark scheme, a measure of the extent to which they agree with the examiners. In the real world, there does not exist perfect solutions to every question, and creativity stems from outside-the-box thinking, as opposed to adhering to fixed standards designed by adults. Thus, contrary to popular beliefs, studying intensively can arguably impede rather than encourage creativity, and it is hence a waste of time.
In conclusion, although many wholeheartedly endorse taking a substantial amount of time to study, I disagree with this opinion. The factor of forgetting, together with effects on the creativity of children, plays a vital role when evaluating how worthwhile this action actually is.