Student… or Learner? (Olle)

Last night I watched The Melbourne Model: The Musical, a very thought-provoking and entertaining show. All of a sudden, my role and my unimelb voice was brought into new light. In one aspect, the production made me “dream large”-r.

Do you see yourself as a potential student or learner?

I will argue there’s a main difference in how we define this.

If I, Olle, see myself as a potential student, I am somehow putting myself into a hierarchial structure – student, teacher, headmaster. I am making someone else responsible for my learning. This is not the case at uni.

If we instead see ourselves as learners, we will automatically become more responsible for our own learning. This is the main difference between high school and uni.

If we compare the verbs to study and to learn we find out why this is.

To study carries a slighly negative meaning, as in something we have to do. I have to study!

It also sounds so serious: If I don’t study, I won’t go to uni. If I don’t go to uni, I won’t get a job..

Our focus is primarily “to study”, not to actually learn something.

Is it only me who still think of studying as a I-have-to-memorise-everything-of-what-it-says-before-the-test? Doesn’t that sound a bit like the 50’s? You be the judge.

In stark contrast, learning is something good.

It carries a positive meaning. It somehow brings me back to primary school where everyone told me: Wow, you’re so good! You’ve learnt how to spell your name today! Here’s a free cookie =)

What I wonder is, what the hell happened to the cookie?

They sort of randomly disappeared after I learnt how to read and write.

That’s why, as a learner, I have to give myself a free cookie from time to time.

I would therefore advise you to skip studying and reward your learning. Because learning will take you places.

Keep learning!

/O

PS. I just realised I didn’t teach you anything. How about this:

IKEA is an acronym which stands for Ingvar Kamprad (founder’s name) Elmtaryd (where he grew up) Agunnaryd (his home county – Småland, South Sweden)