Sunday, November 02, 2003

College Uneducation

Juliano, Joel Bryan

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1.What is college uneducation? (Essay)

-> Explain What is the meaning of college uneducation.

College “uneducation” is the undenyable real truth among college students and graduates here in the Philippines, where students developed the lack of natural skills and abilities to reason, to choose, and to believe, and denying the importance of those abilities, as they ignore and intolerate them.

Many grounds had been discussed by the author, as a way of observation he found on college students and college graduates, those are book-worship, professional philistinism and misguided zeal. They all pertains about improper way of learning, the Philippine society had influenced them.

Like for example, among the mentioned in the essay, is book-worship, where the student choose the book as a sufficient source of information, including the “reasoning”, and “point of views”, where it should be the student who will provide, and not based on the book.

Also the professional philistinism, where the student choose their field of professions, because they are influenced by the society that those professions are popular, and socially accepted, leaving the student not be able to choose what is the best professions that he can strive.

And lastly the misguided zeal, where the student follows the method influenced by the “society”, where reasoning have it's norms, where point of views have it's norms, and where ability to “choose” have it's norms. All what they do is influenced by the society, because they are norms, leaving the student not be able to formulate his own ideas and philosophy.

-> What made Jorge Bocobo entitled this essay college uneducation?

The term itself is recursive with it's word “uneducation” as a way of expressing the real truth about the current situation that is happening now on our College students and Graduates.

He pointed out the essays to college students, and college graduates, where he observed them, on both college students and college graduates, produced by the Philippines.

He entitled the essay “College Uneducation” as a wake-up call on the Philippines, as he pointed out some grounds the majority of college students have.


-> What is Book-Worship?

It's the act that moves student to be dependent on the book alone, as a sufficient source of information, making him systematical, denying the importance of self-reasoning, as a way to provide information.

Books had provided us so many information, that it made us think that there is nothing left to explore, and search the data our own.

If we could compare ourselves from people before who live on the time without the opportunity of reading a book, we can say that they lived with their own ways, and their own reasoning, and they believe on their own perception. How can anyone deny that those people are greater than us, if only they would been given sufficient opportunity like us.

By all means, what's important is how you reason by your own ways, without being dependent on information found in the book.

-> What is Professional Philistinism?

The author pointed out two faces of professional philistinism, the first one is taking professions only to get a degree, the second one is taking professions because they are influenced by society.

The first kind of professional philistinism is bountiful and evident in the Philippine society today, It is the kind of learning, where in a student will only take subjects because of it's certain units grades, taking no consideration the joy, and excitement of learning new things, but rather, just be able to complete the records, all is “just for the record”.

The second kind of professional philistinism is one of the main reason why many students failed to have their expected professions when working abroad, nowadays, it is common to see a Philippine doctor working as nurse and caregiver in the United States, it is common for us to see Philippine lawyers working as consultant and call-center operator in the US, it' is because, it's not the professions really suited for them, but rather it is influenced by society for them to take.


I.What is Misguided Zeal?

The ability of reasoning is undenyably very important, It is what seperate us from animals. But the Philippine society nowadays use what they only learned from the norms, they choose because the norms would also choose that choice, they believe because the norms also believe that belief, and they reason because the norms also reasons that kind of reasoning. It is likewise, that people doesn't have their originality on choosing things, believing things, and reasoning things. It's all in the society's norms.

II.Essay: Do you agree with Jorge Bocobo? Why?

Yes, I agree with Jorge Bocobo, I respect his opinions regarding the grounds that he discussed, he observed what's really happening to college students and college graduates in the Philippines, he pointed out many grounds regarding the real situation the Philippine students and graduates have in common, and that should served as a wake-up call on all Philippine students, that are taking professions only for a degree, but not for the real motivation of learning, he also covers out Philippine students who take subjects just to get a record.

But the only that is missing is the way people believe institutions is, for lot's of people, success is based on how high your grades is, how popular you are in school, how reputable is your school and how athletic you are, I believe that those are really the point of view of many people now.

For me sir, with all due respect, I do not believe in Institutions, I do not believe success is based on how high my grades is, how popular I'am in school, and how athletic I am, but I do believe that success is based on how effective I am to use my natural skills, or in tagalog terms “diskarte”, It's all about diskarte. If you do not believe me, look at Steven Spieldberg, when he was studying, he ranks 32 out of 32 student, he was not popular and infact he is nothing at all, but look at him now, another is Henry Sy, he didn't even take his foot on any institutions, but he was been able to be one of the most successful businessman in the world, he clean people's dirty shoes while they are working, he was nothing but a “sapatero”, but now, he owns the whole SM in the Philippines, and lastly is William Henry Gates III, or Bill Gates, he took college, but he was dropped out, and never completed college, but now, he owns Microsoft, the worlds most successful company, and currently is the richest person in the world.

In my humble opinion sir, anyone should follow their dreams, it is what's really is important, every filipino should learn how to dream, and not be misguided by the people around them.