The Ultimate Purpose of Learning Essay -- literature, college, challeng

By the time a student reaches college, they would have studied for tens of thousands of hours, both inside and outside of the classroom. They would have studied and memorized countless facts and formulas, from history to science to grammatical rules and languages. However, while most of a student’s time is devoted to digesting this information, they are missing the point of all of this studying. I assert that the ultimate purpose of learning is not to absorb what is being taught, but to master how to learn and how to think for oneself. During my learning observation, I witnessed how the professors of the â€Å"Introduction to World Literature† class taught poetry. They did not require that the students memorize or learn the poems presented. Instead, they individually discussed with each member of the class their thoughts on each of the pieces presented. This engagement required the students to formulate his or her own thoughts on this subject, and then share their opinions with the others in the class. The class emphasized the importance of the individual experience over the subject. From the layout of the classroom to the way the students interacted with the professors, it was clear that the students’ ability to discuss and share their ideas were the focus of the class, not their assimilation of the topics being taught. The way the teachers challenged the students to think and discuss their thoughts on the poems rather than dictacting to them what the teachers thought were important. Besides, a ccording to the syllabus of the course, the biggest portion of the grade is â€Å"short papers†. There is a special rule: first, they need to write short papers in class analyzing the reading materials. Then, after receiving the professor’... ...being challenged and motivated. In conclusion, learning how to learn and think other than blindly accepting and memorizing what we are taught is the key to learning. I see many classmates who are tired of learning and try to escape from the heavy pressure of studying. But this article is not just to remind the leaders and teachers in the education field, but also to show students that learning is very personal and that we should try to learn to think for ourselves. Works Cited Works Cited Lenz, John. Introduction in World Literature. Drew University. Depts. of Classics. Syllabus WLIT 101 2013. Einstein vs. Newton. Thinkquest. Oracle Education Foundation. 29 March 2011. Web. 15 December 2013. Delbanco, Andrew. College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011. Print.

Evaluating Eighteenth Century Poetry Essay

Evaluating eighteenth century poetry is not an easy task. After all, the use of language, the cultural references, and the metaphors used then might be a little too different from what are being used now. As such, it would be necessary to take into account the usage of the language—the construction, the idioms being used then, as well as the different expressions being used then. The following points outline several points in reading, enjoying, and evaluating poetry in the eighteenth century. I. Introduction: The authors who wrote poetry in the eighteenth century should be reviewed briefly so that a student may gain some familiarity to 18th century poetry. II. Historical Context and State of the Art. A brief description of the social situation in the period will also be in order as these would lend color and appearance to the poetic inspirations and situations depicted in the poetry then. III. Literary Devices. In evaluating poetry, the reader should be on the lookout for several literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification among others. These would also point to the topics and themes explored then. These literary devices can then be analyzed internally as to their effectiveness in conveying the poem’s message during the period. IV. Â  Language. The language of the eighteenth century is far different from today. As such, it would be necessary to look into the language used, the manner of sentence construction as well as the overall usage and popularity of the language then. Finally, there could also be a way to trace the legacy of these poetry to poetry today.

Gaius Julius Caesar´s Life Essay - 602 Words

Gaius Julius Caesar was born on July 12, 100 BC in an old aristocratic family. After Sulla declared dictatorship, Caesar was targeted due to his kinship to Marius in bloodline and also in his marriage with Cornelia. As a result, Caesar joined the army and later studied rhetoric in Rhodes. Finally returning to Rome after the decline of Sulla’s power, Caesar’s military achievements and eloquence in speeches contributed to his increasing political power in Rome. Caesar gained the support from the Plebeians by hosting entertainments and presenting himself as an affectionate person to the people, who later selected him as a tribune. Also taking advantage of the corrupted government, Caesar bribed his way up to a praetor in Spain, becoming†¦show more content†¦Finally succeed in securing Gaul as a Roman province, Caesar gained great fondness of the public who now looked upon him as the survivor of democracy while the government underwent a revolutionary change. The l ack of balance between the Plebeians, having little wealth and political power, and the rich Patricians that controlled the government was no longer bearable for the people, resulting in great turmoils in society. In such occasion the Senate, believing that monarchy was the only cure to such madness, voted Pompey as the sole consul. The senate revoked Caesar’s governorship and demanded the disband his own army, rejecting any probable peace offering from Caesar. In consequence, Caesar, unwilling to give up his plan of securing the democracy in Rome, crossed the Rubicon with his armies and took Rome by force, using his military power to suppress the power of Senate. After the Civil War, Caesar declared himself dictator for life for the purpose of depriving the power from the Senate, the Optimates branch of the partisans in favor of Oligarch, giving more power to the Plebeians. Caesar’s laws supported the rights and power of the people such as the cancellation of tax for farmers and a fair distribution of lands. Caesar believed that dictatorship was the only way possible to impose democracy in Rome. However, Caesar’s arrogance angered the Senate and his ambition of becoming a king severed his relationship with people. On March 13th 44 BC CaesarShow MoreRelatedJulius Caesar : The Dictator Of Rome1011 Words   |  5 Pages Julius Caesar was born in Rome, Italy c. July 12, 100 BCE (â€Å"Julius Caesar  Biography†). Although many despised him, he was still able to reach his highest potential and became the dictator of Rome. This was not done easily, rather Julius went through many tough battles and overcame many difficult obstacles to reach his highest potential of a dictator. Through his dictatorship, Caesar changed the course of history to what we know it is today. Young Julius came from very humble beginnings. 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