- Children sent to school are away from home more then they are at home.
- Compassion and kindness are not taught in schools.
- Schools harbor drugs, violence, rape, sexism, racism, hate crimes, homophobia, religious persecution, depression, anxiety, and many more serious issues.
- Learning does not occur in schools.
- Many important subjects are not taught in schools.
- In many public and private schools, art and creativity is not taught as an equal to academics, or as a means by which subjects can be taught to students.
- Spirituality in general is not emphasized and if it is, it is generally a mainstream religion.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Some Good Reasons Not to Go to School
Wondering if home education might be a good option for your students or your own children? These Top reasons to homeschool or unschool provide some ideas to consider.
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Some good reasons to go to school:
ReplyDelete•Most parents need to work – some multiple jobs – to earn a living; homeschooling is not an option
•Some home situations are untenable – child abuse, lack of food, etc.; school can provide a welcome respite, be a source of support, provide breakfast and lunch, etc.
•School can be a place where young people form connections beyond the family with adults who can guide and mentor them
•Learning does occur in school, as evidenced by many Nobel laureates who have been educated at and graduated schools
•Many important subjects are taught in school, frequently by people with expertise in their fields
•Spirituality in general is not emphasized
My point in this comment is not to say that all should go to school; rather it is to point out the fallacy of some absolute statements such as "Learning does not occur in schools." There is no one right answer for all people; people are all different, and just as re recognize the existence of varying learning styles, various teaching and schooling styles are needed to support these learning styles.
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteBeing a home educator and really unplugging from the cancer that Government schooling IS requires "thinking out of the box" and realizing the choices you think you have, are not actually choices at all.
I will address the points you made,
*My husband and I work and we home Educate because we made it a priority to. Schooling was never an option for us so we *made it work*. We go without 600 channels, cell phone contracts and iPhones. We purchase our car cash so we have no debt. We moved to a place where the cost of living was MUCH reasonable. We also have come up with many ways to start businesses online that allow us to do what we love and also supplement our income. My point being, it is never that it is "not an option", if a person chooses not to, that's a choice they make. If they "feel" as though they have no choice, they will indeed live without choices.
*When you say that some Home Situations are untenable, child abuse, lack of food, etc... I would argue that some schools are untenable... i.e child abuse, lack of nutrition, etc... furthermore, what you are saying is that School is actually a babysitter, a point that I actually agree with.
*Learning with Freedom encourages young people to form connections BEYOND the family. Real freedom. Not classrooms with timed limits. Or subjects that start and end at the sound of a bell. People can and meet every day outside of prisons.
*When you say, "learning does occur in school". I ask that you define Learning. Following a curriculum written by the state, studying to that curriculum, doing what you are told, preparing for the test, excelling, working to being the top of your class, graduating, getting a college degree, getting that piece of paper and then go into society, so you can have a good job, regurgitating what was downloaded into you, get a house in the suburbs, shop, choose between Target and Walmart so it helps you feel as though you have choice and freedom, getting into debt, have children, work long hours so you can provide them with a nice home in a good neighborhood, never seeing your children because both husband and wife have to keep up with the rat race and inflation... so you hand them over to the state to educate and raise and never once for one moment stopping to ask yourself, "just what the hell is wrong with this picture?" to me is NOT learning. That's programming. That's enslavement. That's the definition of "success" in our society today. Which works because it keeps the pharmaceutical companies very happy as they numb you to the reality of what you've done to yourself. All so you can keep the machine moving. If what people want is a piece of paper, assimilation, and training, then Schooling is the answer!! Learning however, is not and never was in the school's interest.
*Many important subjects are learned anywhere. Human beings are natural learners. Being taught and Learning are NOT the same thing.
*Spirituality is not just NOT emphasized in schooling. It doesn't exist.
My point in my comment is that learning and schooling is NOT synonymous. However, training, assimilation, memorization, obedience and regurgitation IS.
I am not for everyone homeschooling. I am for children having the freedom to learn. Not be trained, but to live and LEARN. Something the current school system is not interested in. Living and learning however IS synonymous.
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteBeing a home educator and really unplugging from the cancer that Government schooling IS requires "thinking out of the box" and realizing the choices you think you have, are not actually choices at all.
I will address the points you made,
*My husband and I work and we home Educate because we made it a priority to. Schooling was never an option for us so we *made it work*. We go without 600 channels, cell phone contracts and iPhones. We purchase our car cash so we have no debt. We moved to a place where the cost of living was MUCH reasonable. We also have come up with many ways to start businesses online that allow us to do what we love and also supplement our income. My point being, it is never that it is "not an option", if a person chooses not to, that's a choice they make. If they "feel" as though they have no choice, they will indeed live without choices.
*When you say that some Home Situations are untenable, child abuse, lack of food, etc... I would argue that some schools are untenable... i.e child abuse, lack of nutrition, etc... furthermore, what you are saying is that School is actually a babysitter, a point that I actually agree with.
*Learning with Freedom encourages young people to form connections BEYOND the family. Real freedom. Not classrooms with timed limits. Or subjects that start and end at the sound of a bell. People can and meet every day outside of prisons.
*When you say, "learning does occur in school". I ask that you define Learning. Following a curriculum written by the state, studying to that curriculum, doing what you are told, preparing for the test, excelling, working to being the top of your class, graduating, getting a college degree, getting that piece of paper and then go into society, so you can have a good job, regurgitating what was downloaded into you, get a house in the suburbs, shop, choose between Target and Walmart so it helps you feel as though you have choice and freedom, getting into debt, have children, work long hours so you can provide them with a nice home in a good neighborhood, never seeing your children because both husband and wife have to keep up with the rat race and inflation... so you hand them over to the state to educate and raise and never once for one moment stopping to ask yourself, "just what the hell is wrong with this picture?" to me is NOT learning. That's programming. That's enslavement. That's the definition of "success" in our society today. Which works because it keeps the pharmaceuticals companies very happy so they can come up with the new drug to numb you to the reality of what you've done to yourself. All so you can keep the machine moving. If what people want is a piece of paper, assimilation, and training, then Schooling is the answer!! Learning however, is not and never was in the school's interest.
*Many important subjects are learned anywhere. Human beings are natural learners. Being taught and Learning are NOT the same thing.
*Spirituality is not just NOT emphasized in schooling. It doesn't exist.
My point in my comment is that learning and schooling is NOT synonymous. However, training, assimilation, memorization, obedience and regurgitation IS.
I am not for everyone homeschooling. I am for children having the freedom to learn. Not be trained, but to live and LEARN. Something the current school system is not interested in. Living and learning however IS synonymous.
I don't believe there are good reasons to go into a hostage situation. Traditional schools are set up to subordinate children, regiment their basic needs, eradicate play and everything children developmentally need in order to learn, homogenize "education" so that nothing about it is innate and relevant, and strip the joy and passion out of learning. Sure, learning occurs in schools, but what kind of learning is the question- Usually children learn in school that life is about drudgery and discomfort and that if something excites them, it will most certainly not be taken seriously at school. I am a single parent who works and I make it work. When a parent loves their child enough to not want to expose them to the toxic environments that traditional schools offer, they can make unschooling or a child-centered alternative school option happen.
ReplyDelete@ Jeff
ReplyDeleteI don't think Lisa would argue with any of these points, and the question of child abuse/toxic homes is an enormous one. Having options for children (like me!) who would have gone crazy being limited to our parents-as-a-scocial network is a must, although I think there are better structural ways to handle this than are currently available. The question of the powerlessness of children goes way beyond coercive schooling.
And while children can make connections and form social circles in schools does not mean that they can't do the same outside of schools as well. In fact, in the larger world, there are more options to meet different people/find new mentors than in the controlled, limited, and arbitrary selection of "peers" and teachers at any given school. If the parents care about their children, they will support them in seeking out as wide a range of experiences as the child requires. If they don't care about their children, well then, there's not a lot that can be done anyway- and for these children the choice between neglect and a gov't takeover is basically one of a lesser of two evils. Positive homeschooling points to a third way that is superior to both, if implemented intelligently and lovingly.
As far as parents needing to work, this is obviously an area where each family has its own particular set of needs. Recent (or illegal) immigrants, where English is not well spoken or the parents' education level is exceedingly low may find that dumping their children in school would in fact give them a better education than they could get at home. And if both parents are working multiple jobs, then yes it is probably a surer bet.
But that doesn't mean that homeschooling is merely an elitist institution for the Angelina Jolie's and snooty Sarah Lawrence grads of the world (no offense, anyone). Where there's a will, there's a way, and creative solutions - including forming co-operatives with multiple families - makes group homeschooling a real possibility for families where parents have only one day off per week between the two. Again, these are creative solutions, not pre-fab solutions, so they require the out-of-the-box thinking that homeschoolers (and hopefully their parents) excel at. There are many, many poor or lower-middle class families who have found ways to homeschool. It takes some planning, some creativity, and a willingness to experiment that is a little dangerous but is not limited to just one class of people.
(cont'd below)
In terms of the "expertise in their fields" argument, I would have to say that I am highly skeptical. The overwhelming majority of teachers teach out of books and are themselves just as much a "victim" of bureaucratic teaching systems as the children are. Perhaps at the college level or the technical/trade school level this may not be the case. But for the first dozen grades (plus "teaching assistant" college classes), the real masters of their trades are far away *actually plying their trades* and are not in the schools teaching bored, disinterested students.
ReplyDeleteThis is one more argument in favor of apprenticeship-style learning (a component of homeschooling) and for allowing children to work ("labor") in the real world where the true masters live. I don't think that primary/secondary school teachers have nearly the same kind of skill set as real professionals- since most of them have never done anything outside of schools their entire lives!
I don't know if your point that "spirituality is not emphasized" is meant to be a criticism of schools or not. While there are myriad religious problems in America and the world, I personally find the kind of doctrinal secularism taught in schools to be a net negative. I am sure I am in the minority in that opinion, at least amongst the more educated, but I think a lack of spiritual/religious connection is a hindrance in the lives of many, many people. The fact that the spiritual life is such a personal/individual issue is one more recommendation against cookie-cutter, mandated schooling. The school system's approach to throw basically all spirituality out the window is an understandable choice, given their priorities, but spiritual life is a real part of life for everyone (in my opinion, whether they know it or not), and just because schools can't effectively deal with it doesn't mean it does not need to be dealt with. And yes, while there are some very destructive religious households that homeschool and indoctrinate their children with all sorts of fears and neuroses, that doesn't mean that spirituality in general is an awful thing that shouldn't be learned about in life. And having child-tailored learning environments seems to me like the best way of dealing with this inherently sticky "problem."
Finally, your point that "learning does occur in school" is one that is a bit more complicated than it looks. Most of those Nobel Laureates became so *after they went to college.* College and post-secondary education in general is a *choice-based* system that is minimally compulsory and in which fields of study are elected by the individual student. It is much closer to what homeschooling really is than are mandated high school courses because students are free to attend - or not - and to focus on what they want to learn. This is the homeschooling ideal, only at a later age. Masters programs are even more free in this sense, and I imagine you wold be hard pressed to find a Nobel Laureate without a Maters Degree.
Finally, if you went around and spoke with those same Laureates, being geniuses mostly, I doubt they would have too much positive to say about their primary/secondary schooling experience. Those that suffered through school-for-dumb-people (by their standards) likely had other avenues for learning in their homes, were able to carve out niches for themselves in school, or thrived in spite of the system, not because of it. I don't have data on this, but I sure would bet my hat on it.
(and just one more. . .)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, as I've experienced it so far, the people posting in this forum are open-minded, creative, and willing to experiment. There is plenty of potential for disaster in homeschooling - particularly when it is even more coercive/abusive than school-schooling. But most people I have read here would agree that homeschooling for homeschooling's sake, as a kind of dogma in itself, is *not* what they are going for.
There is a balance to be struck, and it is an ever-moving one. Folks who go down this path need to be brave enough to accept that fact and to surrender the "certainty" that a "good education" supposedly confers. I believe your comments/concerns are valuable, and I think you would find that most people on this particular forum are in agreement with them. Lisa's writing style may be a bit provocative in tone, but I think there is some merit in that, as it deliberately jars ossified patterns of thinking. Some people need the kick in the brain every once in a while; others are still trying to just put the pieces back together! In either case, I remain delighted to be in the company of people for who, as you put it, "recognize the existence of varying learning styles [and] various teaching and schooling styles." I think you'll find you will be as well.
[NB- I found this comment through Lisa's link and haven't actually read the original post! Hoping I didn't get too far off in my response, but I'm quite busy today, and this piqued my interest, so I felt compelled to respond. I also probably won't have time to proofread it, so belated apologies in advance for any awkward formulations or outright errors! All best, D]
To republish something written by a blogger with one 3-year-old child, who necessarily wouldn't be in school yet even if the parents weren't unschoolers, with a ridiculous blanket statement such as, "learning doesn't occur in schools" is to allow this website's credibility to evaporate. The explanation that the original poster gives for this trite, insulting statement is without foundation. There are numerous reasons to consider what the homeschooling and unschooling movements have to say, but posts like this undermine the message.
ReplyDelete@Kim, I don't believe my blog's credibility is diminished because I share other's views on topics. Doing this is meant to stimulate thoughts, feedback, and ideas. I do NOT expect my readers to agree or take at face value everything I publish. I expect conversation, dialogue and the growing of thinking and learning both for myself and for those who read my blog.
ReplyDeleteI thank and appreciate those who have taken the time to agree as much as those who question what I share.
@Laurie, I don't think that parents who send their kids to school don't "love them enough" to choose otherwise. I truly believe that many (maybe even most) parents who send their kids to school believe they are doing what is best for their kids. In many cases parents just don't give themselves enough credit, believing themselves to be incapable of "providing an education."
ReplyDelete@Kim, If you disagree with some of the statements, that is ok. That is what discussion is for. But even people who have no children (especially those who have been to school themselves) can form an opinion on school and share that opinion. As much as it is not my style either, inflammatory language may be used purposefully to spark a debate. Feel free to provide a counter-argument!
I hope you don't mind me chiming in.
ReplyDeleteI have not read the original blog (Stavvick Family blog) that these ideas came from. I hope this does not disqualify my opinion. I actually read the post from "The Innovative Educator" twice and took notes before responding.
May I mention the inflammatory language before I continue my response? @Jeff & @Dblog, I thank you for the way you continued with the discussion. I don't think inflammatory language lends itself well to thoughtful debate. We all have strong opinions about education (and religion, politics, etc.) but it is hard for me, someone who teaches in a public school (albeit in Canada), to try and be polite and listen nicely when someone compares me to a "hostage" or a "cancer". Hyperbole? Maybe. Helpful to genuine conversation? Unlikely.
Before I get completely written off as unworthy to pay attention to because I'm part of the "problem", let me reassure you that I know of several friends and acquaintances that have chosen to home-school their children. Their reasons were more about their local schools not being able to adequately meet the needs of their children (because of religious reasons and issues surrounding kids with learning disabilities or extra-abilities). My son once asked me to home-school him > because he didn't feel like walking to school in the winter. Not a good reason, IMO.
Whether kindness (or other virtues) can be taught is an argument as old as Socrates. This is true for school and home, regardless of location. We can model, we can punish, we can encourage and practice, but in either teaching situation (home or school), can the results be guaranteed?
I think part of the benefit of "institutionalized schooling" is to learn about socialization and social norms for specific circumstances. Is every day a glorious triumph? No, but at least where I teach (and where my children attend), there are enough works of wonder and moments to celebrate that it's worth it. Today the co-ed volleyball team won their tournament. Sure, they might've been able to get the same experience if their parents had sent them to a league, but it was a joy that for many could only be accessed at school.
I think if too many people "opt out" of public education because they think the system is too broken to be fixed, that's actually detrimental to the system itself. We need people to push for increased attention to creativity and the arts. Check our Sir Ken Robinson's video on Ted TV on the subject of creativity.
One of the criticisms mentioned was that some subjects are not taught - I guess I should have read the original to see what subjects aren't covered, because it seems to be that there are so many things to cover that we sometimes only get to do a surface overview rather than a deeper inquiry.
I doubt my words will change anyone's opinion, but at least it feels good for me to share mine.
I appreciate this post and the comments that follow. I also appreciate the invitation to participate, but it's too complex. The foundation isn't there so I'd have to start from square one, and I cannot cram ten years of personal experience into a couple of paragraphs. Suffice it to say that schooling and learning are not synonymous, alas that is an understandable and common misunderstanding. Interested parties should do further reading.
ReplyDeleteI am very glad to read these intelligent, well thought out comments. I'd like to say that I am the product of a traditional public school education in NYC; I truly believe that I LEARNED much more than WAS TRAINED. I know a number of young people (early 20s) who immigrated to the US as teens; anything other than school was not an option to them. Their parents (hairdressers, mechanics, janitors) did not have some of the options Desiree mentions. These young people, most now in college, are truly thankful for the opportunity of schooling in the USA. They would not have had this option in DR. Is the school system here as good as it can be? Of course not. There is too much emphasis on multiple choice high stakes testing. Many schools have cut arts significantly (interestingly, the inner city school in which I consult offers art, music, and dance with dedicated professionals teaching; another local school offers ceramics. Unusual in this day and age, but refreshing to see).
ReplyDeleteI agree, Laurette, schooling and learning are not synonymous. But neither do they need to be mutually exclusive. I had both, many people have both, so it is possible.
Rethinking my initial avoidance to respond (I apologize, I simply didn't know where to begin) I understood that this is important and deserves a response. Because I am who I am however, I decided to respond verbally en masse :) You can catch it here: www.unpluggedmom.com Titled "Freedom to Be"
ReplyDeleteJeff, I appreciate your comments. I do. I am the daughter of immigrant parents. I moved to this country when I was 12. My mother was a single mother with 4 children, who though she was a college professor back home, she didn't speak the language when we arrived... so she had to work at a factory from 11pm to 7am, she then flipped burgers at a McDonalds from 9am to 1pm, she then came home.. slept for a few hours and took the bus to class to learn English. She then would come home, sleep a few hours and head towards the factory to do it all over again. We could've moved to the town next door where rent was much cheaper, but my mother insisted, she would just work two jobs in order to pay the higher rent so we would be in the good neighborhood "safe" from the "bad schools". She didn't want my brothers in jail or me pregnant. She learned her language, quit the factory, transferred her credits and is now a Full Time teacher, owns real-estate AND also runs her own bridal business.
ReplyDeleteNo one is gonna tell me, there are "no" options in life. Especially in this country. We either "CREATE" our situations or throw ourselves at the mercy of life's circumstances and merely "react" to life, rather than act.
I can unequivocally say, I "learned",a lot when I was little. Those early years... I learned how to read with my mother and I learned Math in school. I already knew how to read by the time I was in kindergarten and so I skipped two grades. We moved here at the age of 12. I did my High School here and I say without hesitation, I learned absolutely nothing. I remember studying a lot, getting good grades, staying out of trouble, working hard, following my best friend's advice who was an honors student to memorize the chapters and notes when "studying" for the test. I remember specifically telling her, "But how do I understand it?. I don't want to just memorize it, I want to really know it and understand it." I quickly learned, that's not what gets A's. What gets you A's, those A's you need to get into a "good" college is to memorize, join some clubs and groups, study and graduate.
"Learning" and schooling, especially the schooling that follows those early grammar years IS NOT synonymous. What is important in HS is to get through the system. Figure out your trade that those test scores will determine and your counselor who over sees 200 students will help decide.
I had to fight my counselor just to get into a good english class, because my "Scores" were not high. It didn't matter that I hated testing, it didn't matter that I loved to read, it didn't matter that I wanted to design clothes and not learn geometry. The Counselor does what they are told, the teachers do what they are told and the BEST students... the ones who make everyone proud are the best, not at learning or thinking or challenging the system... they are the best at doing what they are told.
I am not a product of the Public School system. I am a survivor of this system.
The learning you are praising is not a result of Schooling, it's a result of individual curiosity and will that survived schooling. Some of us have stronger wills than others, and so we don't assimilate so easily.
It is not coincidence that our greatest thinkers and revolutionaries were failures in schools. You want a poet, don't look to schooling. But if you want the next CEO for Home Depot, just wait.. I am sure he is graduating next week.
Jeff, I appreciate the time you are taking to discuss this, but I'm disturbed by your focus on reiterating that kids need someplace to be. School is not supposed to be a babysitter. It is, but this is a problem for our society as we've learned to depend on it... it's a negative, not a positive. It's not a good thing.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jeff’s good reasons to go to school I want to share that just because a Nobel laureate went to school that does not mean school should receive credit for their accomplishments. Many of us achieved despite, not because of, school. Also, I wonder if these Nobel laureates went to traditional public school or one of the elite schools where students have much more freedom and are empowered to succeed. There are many successful individuals who did indeed find success and did indeed attend school, but one is often not cause the other. As I shared in a recent blog post, there are many brilliant students that tolerate school but admit it is torture and even in classes with “experts” engagement and excitement are the exception rather than the norm. I also wonder how many student successes we may never hear of as so many students today are having their creativity drugged right out of them as we medicate more and more for their inability to sit down, sit up and pay attention to things they don’t care about.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Jeff’s statements that important subjects are taught in schools and frequently by those with expertise in the field. They are taught sure, but I didn’t learn any of the subjects that were spewed out to me. I memorized and regurgitated, but I did not learn. Additionally, while you feel the subjects were important to you, for me they were packaged in a way that made them unimportant and irrelevant to my life. In fact when questioned by me, instructors would be aggravated that I dare ask why I needed to know the information they tried to impart in me. For me, forcing me to do work that is not connected to that which is or will be real in my life, is not worth my time.
The last thing I’d like to mention is that I do not believe every family is equipped to home educate. Personally, I would have likely run away from home if that was my fate. There does need to be places to go for children for whom learning at home is not a desirable option for any number of reasons. As I share often in my blog there are schools where passion drives the learning that could be quite appealing to parents and their children like the ones I wrote about here http://huff.to/gw66E4
More Good Reasons to Go to School:
ReplyDelete-Your child will become socially literate. (I can't tell you how many homeschooled kids I know who can't hack it socially because they were homeschooled.)
-Your child will learn how to deal with people who are different from them. I went to a school where racism and homophobia were prevalent, and I most certainly didn't turn out that way. You have to trust that your kids will take the lessons you've taught them out into the world.
-Your child learn to respect and understand other people and cultures. It's not a bad thing to learn that everyone else isn't like your family.
-Your child will develop a life away from you. I have a great relationship with my Mom, but she has her business and I have mine. You shouldn't raise your kid to be dependent on you. It breeds resentment.
-Drugs, violence, rape, sexism, racism, hate crimes, homophobia, religious persecution, depression, and anxiety are EVERYWHERE. It doesn't do your kid any good to ignore them. Learning what all those things are, and what they look like is invaluable- you also learn how to avoid and deal with them.
-What, exactly, qualifies as an important subject to learn? Most kids aren't exposed to art or music until they get to school.
-I'm sorry, but a certain amount of creativity does go into academics and study. In fact, the majority of learning isn't really built off of pure intelligence, it's built off of an individual's ability to adapt to learn the material.
-Spirituality should be private.
-Your kid will connect with other kids who share the same interests, from similar backgrounds.
-Your kid might become involved in athletics, which encourage personal growth, hard work both in the classroom and on the field, and gee, develop, some kind of passion.
Finally, passion is acquired through deep focus. It's not something that KIDS need to learn. They should explore, and have fun. Teenagers and young adults should find a specific focus to work towards. You shouldn't convince your kids that there's something really great out there for them that they're meant to do. That's a big fat trap that leads to a "the grass is always greener" mentality where a person doesn't develop a specific focus because they believe there's something better. It's a recipe for misery and a really simplistic viewpoint of a world that's much more complex.
Learning doesn't really occur in schools or homes. It occurs in the hearts and minds of those who remain open to the experience of learning. This process can be accelerated by being outside more, moving and breathing in fresh air and feeling all of the elements. The wisdom of nature is often overlooked, much like the gem of an option homeschooling is. As for the anonymous person saying, "I can't tell you how many homeschooled kids I know who can't hack it socially because they were homeschooled" this is a farce. Not only are more children who are going to schools coming out of it socially deficient/inept, or otherwise wrecked, most of the ones I talk to are spinning in circles so fast that they "need" pharmaceutical drugs to "center" them enough to carry on conversations and relationships or do their daily routine.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous, This whole "socialization" myth is just that, a myth. They are unsubstantiated *assumptions* people make on what Home Education without doing even the simplest "Google" research. The fact is schooling is less than 200 years old, but people really believe man will cease without it. Schooling is about assimilation. It is not about learning, or meeting other people or creating healthy sociable human beings. Nothing could be further from the truth.
ReplyDeletePlease learn what Home Education is before stating what you "think" it is as fact. Research, learn, investigate... you know? Be curious, despite your schooling.