The Measure of Success

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a familiar, yet complex, question that every child at some time or another has been asked. As a child, it is essentially simple to decide what to be; but as that child grows up his or her ideas and passions change. Passion is what drives people to further their education. Everyone has a dream about what their career might look like once they reach adulthood. It is ultimately what we decide to do with our life that determines how successful one can be. This takes a lot of hard work, curiosity, the ability to think critically, and the support of family and teachers. In the articles “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths” by Gary Colombo, “The Achievement of Desire” by Richard Rodriguez, and “Learning Power: The Myth of Education and Empowerment” there are many different viewpoints about how to be successful and what education has to do with it. These articles demonstrate different perspectives about the subject of education. The fact remains that the amount of learning a student achieves is measured by the amount of curiosity and determination that is put into it, as well as, the perseverance to succeed.

In order to be successful, a student needs to work hard and put a lot of effort into that work. The vast majority of people are trying to achieve the great American Dream that this land has always been known for. “Education tells us that the American Dream can work for everyone.… the path to achievement lies through individual effort and hard work, not blind luck or birth” (“Learning” 111). This quote shows that through education the American Dream is possible to achieve, however it will take effort and hard work. Some people think they can rely on their parents or the fact that they have money or simply just luck to get them by in life. People who believe this way are truly misguided individuals because it takes a lot more than that to have a successful life. Rodriguez states, “…with ever – increasing intensity, I devoted myself to my studies” (195). The effort and hard work that a student puts into being successful will eventually pay off if he or she would just allow education to shape their life enough to guide them on the right path. When becoming a student new skills are taught on how to be successful and if students would just take the time to apply these skills they could work for everyone.

Students need to have a certain level of curiosity and in order to do so they need to be able to think critically. Curiosity is a necessary component to achieving academic success. Without this there is no desire to continue learning. Curiosity is what makes students wonder about all that is out there in this great big world. Rodriguez must have had a very high level of curiosity to be able to achieve everything that he achieved. That curiosity is evident here “After dinner, I would rush to a bedroom with papers and books…Eager. Fascinated by the promising texture of a brand-new book….I rarely looked away from my books…” (199-200).

Rodriguez demonstrates that he would do anything to be able to devote all his time to his books. He enjoyed learning all that he could possibly learn. Rodriguez did not seem to care “at what cost” he got his education; he wanted to better himself in order to be successful. This level of curiosity has taken Rodriguez high up on the academic ladder. Another component to climbing the ladder of success is to be able to think critically. Thinking critically is far more challenging than one might initially think. A student must be able to think outside the normal realm, to look at things from a different perspective as Colombo states here, “A critical thinker cultivates the ability to imagine and value points of view different from her own….”(2).

It is crucially important that students get the support of their family and teachers; if they do not have that it will be incredibly difficult to achieve academic success. Young students thrive on hearing compliments for a job well done. If they don’t have this praise in their lives then their outlook on their academic career becomes fairly bleak. It is a teachers job to engage the student in the classroom; to make them think and to support them in developing their own ideas. Colombo reminds us that, “It’s by encountering new ideas and engaging with others in open dialogue that we learn to grow” (8). Students really do need to seek the approval and acceptance of their family and teachers. They are eager to attend school and learn all they can to please the teacher with their correct answers. Teachers play an enormous role in the academic success of their students.

Some teachers just look at their profession as a job and, quite frankly, those teachers should not be teaching. Teachers need to realize that they have the ability to shape the future of each and every student that walks through their classroom. Family plays a major role in the academic success of their student. If the parents do not show any interest in their education then the student begins to think that academia is not important. Parents should begin at a young age with their children by teaching them how important education is and how far it can take them, then that student will start to believe that anything is possible. This, therefore, encourages the student to begin to dream and this can take students to a whole new level. It is up to the parents to encourage children to dream.

Rodriguez also supports this viewpoint on this subject. He believes that “Without extraordinary determination and the great assistance of others – at home and at school – there is little chance for success. Typically most working – class children are barely changed by the classroom” (197). He believes that without parents to support the students they will just give up and nothing they learn in the classroom will have any effect on their future. Success is measured by the amount of hard work, dedication, curiosity, and perseverance that a student puts forth. Each of these components is essential and equally important to the academic success of a student. If one of these are missing than it will be extremely hard for the student to achieve all that they desire in their academics. As students begin on their journey to climb the academic ladder, they will begin to grow their own ideas about what they wish for their future to look like. This essentially will precede a passion that begins to grow; a passion for a drive to succeed in all that is attempted, academically or life in general.

Works Cited

Colombo, Gary. “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths.” Rereading America: Cultural Context for Critical Thinking and Writing. 8th ed. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 1-8. Print. “Learning Power: The Myth of Education and Empowerment.” Rereading America: Cultural Context for Critical Thinking and Writing. 8th ed. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 109-115. Print. Rodriguez, Richard. “The Achievement of
Desire.” Rereading America: Cultural Context for Critical Thinking and Writing. 8th ed. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 194-206. Print.