Knowledge is the Seed of Life by Ben

Knowledge is the Seed of Life by Ben - March 2018 Scholarship Essay

Have you ever wondered why everyone goes to school? From kindergarten to college graduation everyone spends 17000 hours of their lives sitting in a classroom learning. You may have a few answers such as "My parents make me. I want to get a job. I like to spend time with my friends. I like learning!", but I think one of the most valuable parts of school is that it makes learning one of the primary activities of our lives from the very beginning. School teaches us to be continuous learners.
It is important for everyone, big or small, wise or ignorant, to be continuous learners. People need to constantly learn more about things they already know, and also things they don't. Alot of high schools and colleges let people choose what classes they want to take, but one of the problems with this is that they start to lose that second part of continuous learning: learning something new that you have no experience in. I was able to learn this lesson because at my high school we have no choice. Everyone has a broad variety of subjects including math, art, history, science, and philosophy. It seemed unfair at first. There are other schools in the area that offer higher math classes, or a better music program, but after awhile I began to appreciate our scope. Learning many different subjects makes me well rounded and adaptable. It teaches me how to learn and gives me the ability to appreciate the world in many different levels.
I can look at a mountain and understand its history, formed by the movements of tectonic plates. Or I can see it through the eye of the poet: a lone monolith, casting off its terrestrial chains and challenging all to conquer its might. Yet again I can see it as mathematician, or a scientist. I can tell you how heavy it is, or explain why air pressure decreases as you ascend it. I can look at it as an artist, and show you the different methods one could use to capture it in a picture, through paint or pencil, or perhaps pastel. All of these views can come to me because of continuous learning. It lets me tackle problems and new situations from a variety of perspectives and gives me new ways to enjoy the world. This is the value of continuous learning. Without it, we become narrow minded and dull.
But that is not all. The question is how I would explain it to a 2nd grader. I could show them the three previous paragraphs, but that's not a very relatable way. It's hard to understand what you have little experience in. I don't know any 2nd graders, but I do have a brother who is in kindergarten, and I know he wouldn't care a bit about how to write mountain poetry. Instead I'd take it to his level by asking him questions he can answer. I can start with the same one I asked you. "Why do you go to school every day?" After that I can guide him by using his answers and try to get him to understand. At school he is learning to read, and I can show him how continuous learning makes him better and better at it. He can read most common words and this lets him read books or play video games on his own without having someone explain all the words to him. He enjoys being able to do things by himself, and then I can show him how learning other things lets him do even more. Eventually he would be able to be like me. To him I probably seem like I can do whatever I want.