Keys To A Well-Rounded Education

Our formal education stops short of a full, well-rounded knowledge of many subjects. A college education is helpful, but many of us pigeonhole ourselves in to very narrow catergories of subjects.

Fear not! Furthering your education doesn't mean dusty classrooms or dry textbooks. Learning can be entertaining. Reading for pleasure can really teach you something.

Expand your world.

Read.

A firm knowledge base of varied subjects is essential to being a well-rounded person. Here are a few tips on how you can increase your general knowledge:

Find subjects that interest you - things that you've always wanted to know more about.

Keep up with the news. If you ride public transport to and from work each day, bring a long the day's paper or the current issue of a good news magazine like Time or Newsweek.

Expand your horizons. Next time you rent a movie, buy a book, or surf the web, look for something different than your usual tastes.

Join a forum. Internet forums exist for every interest and topic under the sun. Find one centered on a topic that you'd like to know more about and join in. Introduce yourself and let the members know that you're there to learn about what they're discussing.

Joke all you want, these types of books are awesome! I first began my studies of Asian history by reading Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of The Universe. Mr. Gonick presents world history in an easy to read and entertaining comic-book format. No joking, you'll learn more than you ever imagined and have fun doing it!

I'm also a fan of the "-----for Dummies" and "The Idiot's Guide To ----" books. The format of these volumes is brilliant. Well organized, easy to understand, and wildly entertaining, these types of books make acquiring new information and skills accessable to the masses.

For neat trivia, historical funnies, pop culture, and other weird and wonderful stuff, try the Bathroom Readers. Bathroom Readers - yup, they're named after exactly what you think they are. Each HUGE book is arranged in very brief articles about all topics under the sun - from conspiracy theories to the origins of vaccum cleaners to historical mysteries to top ten lists. Just one of these books will keep you interested for hours. One word of caution, however, they are addicting.

From Northern Star Online:

"Ethnocentrism, explains Sarah A. Blue of the Department of Geography, is the reason many Americans opt not to learn about other nations.

"The U.S. being a political and economical superpower, we don't need to look beyond our borders," Blue said. "Because the U.S. is so big, we tend to travel within the country."

Blue said many Americans find learning geography unappealing.

"It's just one of the subjects that people find boring," Blue said.

In some cases, students are not given the opportunity to learn geography in school. Gina Colonna, a sophomore elementary education major, knows this from experience.

"I just don't think schools emphasize geography enough," Colonna said. "I know from my own experience that I was never taught geography in elementary school or high school. I don't even think our high school had a geography class."

Tyler Swanson, a senior marketing major, believes many Americans just don't care enough about the rest of the world to learn about it.

"I think a lot of it has to do with how closed-minded and egocentric the general American public is," Swanson said. "As a whole, we don't care about what is going on in other parts of the world, as long as it doesn't affect us, or our gas prices, directly."

The 2006 National Geographic-Roper Survey of Geographic Literacy published statistics regarding U.S. citizens ages 18 to 24. According to the report, half of Americans cannot locate New York on a map."

Read the entire articlehere

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History and geography are intimately linked, one cannot understand one without knowing a bit about the other.

A basic grasp of human history is easy to acquire. Go beyond what you learned in elementary school, discover new cultures, learn about why we are the way we are today, figure out the puzzle..........

How many wars have been fought in the name of religion?

How many biases exist based on a person's beliefs?

Do you really understand the background of different religions?

I have 4 children and over the course of the past 12 years I've purchsed books FOR THEM that I have ended up, not only reading myself, but learning new things and enjoying them! So, don't be afraid of looking foolish by reading "children's books". You can order them discretely online and they'll arrive in a nice Amazon box so the delivery person has no clue about your dirty secret. In a bookstore, just casually mention to everyone within whisper-shot that you've got a niece whose birthday is coming up.

Of course, if you have your own children, no one will be the wiser!

You've seen the Mona Lisa and know a Van Gogh when you see one - but is that all?

A basic understanding of biology, anatomy, and ecology are keynotes of a knowledgable person.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

The pure sciences don't need to intimidate you. Many excellent and entertaining works are available that can fill you in on the bare basics without making your eyes cross, and frankly, unless you are in a scientific field, a little familiarity is all you need.