I Hate to Study but Love to Learn
Returning to university today, I was filled with excitement and hope. This semester, I would be starting a course in web development—a subject I’ve been diving into on my own this summer. I’ve spent a lot of time learning and applying new concepts by creating this website. It’s a work in progress, and I plan to keep improving it as I learn more.
However, as soon as the first lecture began, my enthusiasm started to wane. I can’t quite pinpoint why, but schools and universities often make the learning process feel monotonous and pressure-filled. I’ve noticed that when learning something new becomes tied to testing and grading, it loses some of its enjoyment. I understand the necessity of grading to differentiate between passing and failing a course, but the shift from self-directed learning to a structured classroom environment feels less stimulating.
My new course covers the same material I’ve been exploring independently over the past few weeks. It’s striking how different the experience is. The atmosphere of learning these technologies in school doesn’t compare to the excitement of discovering them on my own. There’s something off about the “vibe” of learning in a formal setting versus learning independently.
To explain this “vibe,” I recommend a post by Jakob Greenfeld that captures this sentiment perfectly. You can read it here