College is more than a place where you earn a degree before heading into the job market. Our four years in college are also supposed to build character. That is, we must develop some important personal qualities that are necessary for success in today’s society. Among them, in my opinion, a tireless interest in learning may be the most important.
As the world we live in is fast charging, we need to constantly update our knowledge and skills. While many people clench their teeth to fill their minds with new things, those who have developed a genuine interest in learning during their college years can make a virtue of necessity, taking great pleasure in learning what the latest developments in their fields require.
Interest in learning can also help to avoid the feeling of worthlessness and emptiness, a typically modern disease caused by complicated reasons, such as the enormous pressure and fierce competition in modern society. As human beings, we need more than material comforts to affirm the value of our lives. In China, where belief in god is largely absent, a lifelong quest for knowledge can be a god-substitute for religion, as those dedicated to learning will become more aware of the meaning of their lives by seeing themselves. as those who transmit. the torch of knowledge. In this way, learning can serve to avoid psychological crises.
A devotion to learning can also contribute to a better family environment, especially when it comes to parent-child relationships. Given the tremendous pressure Chinese children receive from education, many parents worry that their children are too interested in playing computer games or chatting online and too little interested in studying. Scolding and corporal punishment are ineffective; worse yet, they may miss the children of their parents. However, if the parents themselves demonstrate a desire to learn, children can acquire the habit of reading and thinking, and develop immunity against bad influences. By actively participating in their children’s learning process, parents may find communication with their children much easier than simply telling them to work hard.