What are universities for? I mean why do people waste money and time going to university? A typical undergraduate course lasts at least 3 years and cost lots of money not just on fees but also for books, food and lodging, writing materials etc. There must be some need for these revered institutions, if not how could Azhar and Oxbridge get to be hundreds (thousands in Azhar’s case) of years old?
University is just a name given to an institution providing formal post secondary education. The important thing is to continue getting formal education after finishing high school. The reason is simple, knowledge is so abundant that 11-12 years of schooling cannot and will not equip anyone with the necessary knowledge to go through 70 years of life. The key to a better life is formal education and by formal means being taught by someone more knowledgeable, informed and experienced. Formal education makes a person able to understand and appreciate life better. The problem with being self taught is that one is limited to one’s own ability to interpret and understand knowledge and unless you are Stephen Hawking, I doubt you’ll get very far. (By the way, Dr Hawking also went to university).
The point is, formal post secondary education is vital to ensure the mind is trained to understand. I always tell my students that the reason why we go to university is for us to learn how to reason, rationalise and make an informed decision. No doubt there are many other ways of enriching one’s mind but young 19-20 year olds need the right guidance to embark on the journey called life. Going to university is not just about learning to be a lawyer, engineer or scientist; it is mostly about experiencing the university life and learning to learn.
The Prophet (pbuh) once said, “seek knowledge, even if you have to travel to China” and interestingly enough, acquiring knowledge is wajib which gives it a higher standing than for example terawih prayers during Ramadhan nights which underscores the importance of acquiring knowledge.
Learning is a never ending process but having the right foundations will ensure a better learning experience.
University is just a name given to an institution providing formal post secondary education. The important thing is to continue getting formal education after finishing high school. The reason is simple, knowledge is so abundant that 11-12 years of schooling cannot and will not equip anyone with the necessary knowledge to go through 70 years of life. The key to a better life is formal education and by formal means being taught by someone more knowledgeable, informed and experienced. Formal education makes a person able to understand and appreciate life better. The problem with being self taught is that one is limited to one’s own ability to interpret and understand knowledge and unless you are Stephen Hawking, I doubt you’ll get very far. (By the way, Dr Hawking also went to university).
The point is, formal post secondary education is vital to ensure the mind is trained to understand. I always tell my students that the reason why we go to university is for us to learn how to reason, rationalise and make an informed decision. No doubt there are many other ways of enriching one’s mind but young 19-20 year olds need the right guidance to embark on the journey called life. Going to university is not just about learning to be a lawyer, engineer or scientist; it is mostly about experiencing the university life and learning to learn.
The Prophet (pbuh) once said, “seek knowledge, even if you have to travel to China” and interestingly enough, acquiring knowledge is wajib which gives it a higher standing than for example terawih prayers during Ramadhan nights which underscores the importance of acquiring knowledge.
Learning is a never ending process but having the right foundations will ensure a better learning experience.
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