My Essay

My Essay

Normally my essay would follow strict guidelines as approved by intelligent people that know what they are talking about when it comes to English and essays and such.
I do not doubt their ability as educators or as moderators, I understand the length of time spent struggling to attain the qualifications that they so rightly deserve, however I do doubt their ability to understand me.

I understand the value of higher learning, continuing study at a tertiary level, it serves the world as a whole well, and there is so much value in the continuation of learning, which is of course the entire purpose for tertiary study or study at all.
I understand the parents and teachers genuine want for students to excel, to shine their ability out to the world and they believe tertiary study in a university or a tech establishment is invaluable, for a certain kind of learner.

However I am not that learner, certain aspects of school life just don’t support the way I learn, and people may view this as a cop out, a low self confidence in my ability.
But it’s just the opposite, I have supreme confidence in my ability to learn, to grow, and many other skills.
The point of this essay isn’t to build myself up and advertise my ability; the point of this essay is to say.
I will not be following the path that mainstream education wishes of me.

I see its value, and I understand people need the structure and uniform methods of learning that it offers, I understand that school is too much of a vast place to tailor their courses to suit one self confessed free spirit.
I understand every teachers yearning for me to reach the potential I show to have.

Think about this statement “To realise ones destiny is a person’s only obligation” this statement is how I would like to live and have wanted to. (Courtesy of Ms White)
Now it sounds very “free spirited”, impulsive, and irresponsible but its not.
This line was taken from a book all about following dreams, bear with me
In this story a simple shepherd boy has a recurring dream which he doesn’t understand.
He seeks out a woman who can interpret dreams which tells him to seek the pyramids of Egypt for a treasure.
Throughout his journey he stalls and is stopped and finds many things in the world he did not know.
He finds that always will the life of a shepherd be there, always will his old life remain, but never again do the chances of a new life, a special, destined life come along.
It speaks of taking chances, all the opportunities afforded to you.

Which is what I’m trying to do, I’m trying to seek out that which I believe to be my, I don’t want to say destiny because of the connotations with that word.
But I am seeking my path, my chosen way in life.
School unfortunately, or the way in which it is structured and the inability to tailor itself to a specific student is the reason why I am writing this.
This is not the place in which I will achieve what I believe my goals to be.

To that I would expect the response of “You should take the opportunities school affords you” which is valid, but not for me.
It may be hard to understand and seem wrong but I know where my path lies.
I will be applying to the intermission course at Carey Baptist College.
This is a year where we come out of it with a more developed spirituality and a NZQA Certificate in Applied Theology.

Which although might not sound like a solid foundation it is my passion.
As impulsive and bull headed as I may be, this is my passion, one of my favourite teachers said to me “Trent, What motivates you?”
This is it, my love for my faith is what drives me to be better, its my inspiration regardless of your personal beliefs I know you are all people who can understand and appreciate the fact that when someone is passionate about something, their learning cannot help but benefit from that passion.

I want to change the world, when you grow up and gain wisdom you loose stupidity, you loose the unadulterated ability to do anything you wish.
When you go to university and there are exceptions to every rule but, you loose that ability, you are restricted by age, and I want to go into that age believing still I'm unrestricted even if its not true.
Eleanor Roosevelt said this,
“Education today is not purely a question of the education of youth; it is a question of the education of parents, because so many parents, I find, have lost their hold on their children. One reason for this is that they insist on laying down the law without allowing a free intellectual interchange of ideas between themselves and the younger generation. I believe that as we grow older we gain some wisdom, but I do not believe that we can take it for granted that our wisdom will be accepted by the younger generation. We have to be prepared to put our thinking across to them. We cannot simply expect them to say, "Our older people have had experience and they have proved to themselves certain things, therefore they are right." That isn't the way the best kind of young people think. They want to experience for themselves.”

To be completely honest with all of you, I don’t know if I should complete this year, in my heart of hearts I would love to leave school, and earn money for my certificate next year.
Whether I can is a story for another essay.

I can promise you this, you will all hear of me in later years, I hope, as a world changer.
My ambition… to change the world on a scale as unbelievable as people to be awe struck, accepting the fact that it simply couldn’t have come from me.
But from where else…

Trent