Degrees of Separation: The Privilege in Pursuing Learning
October 7, 2024
Writer: Ivette Flores Gomez
Editor: Ava Londa
I’m sitting at the library and am supposed to be studying for an exam I have tomorrow, however, my brain is overtaken by my thoughts. I’m thinking about having to study for a class I find extremely interesting, about having to wake up early tomorrow for said class, about having an essay due in another class that I do not find nearly as riveting. I’m sitting at the library studying for an exam I have tomorrow and all I can do is complain. As I sit here, becoming hyper fixated on my frustrations, I wonder, “How are these thoughts serving me?” I mean sure, sometimes it’s healthy to confront my feelings, but at what cost? Will I eventually shift my mindset to focus on the positive aspects of academics in college or will I continue to complain some more? Unfortunately, I’m used to doing the latter and it’s what many of us subconsciously do throughout our academic careers.
This realization stuck with me and left me thinking for the next few days. I fought the urge to look at the clock and find out when the class would be over because two years ago, all I wanted was to be here. I thought about how all these lessons were foreign to those who do not get to experience higher education. I thought about how privileged I was to be expanding my worldview, my vision of what exists through theories, chemicals, art, and history. I thought about how privileged I was to be learning something new every day.
The privilege I feel does not just come from the fact that others won’t get these opportunities, but from the feeling that these teachings are helping me grow– I’m becoming more aware, more knowledgeable, maybe even wiser. Why should I complain about that? And sure, exams and assignments may not necessarily make us wiser, but being more receptive rather than closed off during class might. And this should not end after a class period does; this openness should trickle into times when we’re reading, engaging with others, or even attending symposiums.
Many of us are used to going through the motions when it comes to school. We go to class, submit assignments, study for an exam, take the exam, and repeat. Throughout all of it, we often wish to not do any of it. It’s stressful, it’s a lot – maybe the academic system as we know it isn’t structured in the best way to promote learning. But, there is learning happening. There is so much I know now that I did not know last month, last week, or last year. Maybe I shouldn’t have just checked off “Read Chapter 1” off my to-do list, but instead viewed it as an opportunity. An opportunity to learn something new, to expose myself to other aspects of the world, because knowledge is a beautiful privilege.
