Education Essay Example for Free

Education Essay When we think of someone who is well-educated, we typically think of doctors, lawyers and people in those categories. This does not always means a person has to have a fancy degree or title behind their name to be well-educated. Being well-educated can come in many different ways. So what does it mean to be well-educated? In this essay, I will give some examples as to what I feel well-educated means to me, other than having a degree. As I read thru the article by Alfie Kohn about principle leadership on what does it mean to be well-educated; I became very intrigued. Over my 21 years with the US Army, I have had several officers over me who have their degree but still not educated on life in the military. Yes, they went to college and got educated in the books, but when it comes to military life or combat, it’s still a lot to be educated on. There were times when an officer came to me for advice or what to do because he knew I had many years of experience on the job which therefore made me more educated than he. It’s no different from when I first enlisted in the military; there were people over me I had to go to because I wasn’t educated in the job. In Alfie Kohn’s article, he stated â€Å"my wife has a doctoral degree from Harvard but if you ask her what 8 times 7 is, she would freeze up. † The same concept applies with some officers I worked under in my military career. You could go to them about a lot things, and they could give you answer without thinking but it could be something as simple as putting up a frame tent and they wouldn’t have a clue. But if you take a person that has set up a frame tent several times without any hesitation and not ask the question, â€Å"how? † I consider this person well-educated because he has done this task many times. I do believe a person becomes well-educated with time and practice. Just because you go to college and graduated doesn’t necessarily mean you well-educated on the job. For me, being well-educated can mean different things for different people. For instance, take my dad. My dad is 65 years old and retired from his job for as long as I can remember a mechanic. After his retirement, my dad sits in his chair and watches cartoons, old television shows and westerns and tells me stories of his past. My dad never even finished high school but I do consider him to be a well-educated man because of things he has taught me and the way he raised me. My father never had much growing up, so he had to work in the fields and didn’t have much opportunity for education. He had to start work at a very young age as a mechanic once he turn 16; a job he done till he retired at age of 62. By those many years in one profession; even though he doesn’t have a high school diploma nor college degree, I still consider him a well-educated man from his years of experience. You may be able to walk up to my dad and ask him an algebra problem but if you ask him anything dealing with mechanical on a car, there would be no problem. He didn’t have and school education, but he knew how to count and manage his earnings. He also married my mom when he was 18 and done a really good job of raising three kids. I remember growing up and watching my father work on people car out in the yard and I use to wonder what he was doing? I didn’t have a clue of what he was doing but I know the person he whose car he was working on was very satisfied after he was done. He taught me how to be a man and what mistakes not to make from his mistakes. I know he wasn’t good with math but he could really save money and make his money work for us. One thing I never forgot he said, â€Å"always put some money away from every check for that rainy day. † Once I got my first job, I have always done just that; even still to this day. He also taught me the responsibility to always take care of your family first before anything else. It didn’t quite understand then what he was referring to then, but as I got older, I knew he was just educating me on how to be a man that takes care of his family and home. For that I consider my father to be well-educated. I believe if a person just takes the time and be patient at whatever there pursuing, he or she will become well-educated. For some, going to college and receiving a degree and be very difficult, whether is financial or just didn’t score high enough to get into college. I do believe that if we got to college and graduated with a degree, we can get better jobs and be well-educated in the books but maybe not hands on in the field of their choosing. I know once I graduated from high school, going to college was the last thing on my mind and joining the military was always my desire. I’ve always felt like school just wasn’t for me because I had hard time maintaining grades and learning the books. I have always been more of hands on person more than school. I do consider myself well-educated because I spent 21 years in the military and have accomplished all tasks set before me with high standards. In conclusion, I believe that a person doesn’t necessarily have to go to college and get a degree to be considered well-educated. We as people can determine who we feel is well-educated by knowledge and experience as well as schooling; whether it be at junior college, university or technical college. So what does it mean to be well-educated is a question that can be argued for years to come.