Instant Gratification vs Education

Today's society, at least in the United States, is based on instant gratification.  Everything we search for, we expect to be right at our finger tips.  Spending an extended amount of time on one project or problem, or an extended process is considered to be a waste of time and energy.

How then does education fit into this picture?  Getting a good education is a process, and a lengthy one at that.

Given those qualifications, one would think that we would have found a substitute for it, one that takes less time and is therefore more efficient.  However, because there is no instant education, I think the lesson in that is that not everything must be instantaneous.  Sometimes the variable that determines whether something is of quality or not is time.  Being quite familiar with procrastination, I can speak towards this as being true.  The quality of the work I do is much better when I start early and take my time.  Most people will say the same thing. Some, of course, will argue the opposite, saying that they work better under pressure.  Being the child of two teacher, believe me, it is obvious when an assignment has been saved for the last minute versus one that has been worked on and edited and then edited again.  The difference shows in the quality.

Education is a similar situation.  It is simply not possible to learn everything that you need to know in one go.  Learning takes practice.  Yes it is possible to know how to do something without really knowing it.  Being able to apply the things that you have learned is what is going to matter in the long run.  Living in a society where education is one of the few things that does not come instantly brings up the question of the quality of our education.  People aren't willing to spend the time, and therefore are not able to go as in depth as a good education requires.

When looking at education in America in particular, I believe that part of our problem is the instant gratification around us.  We expect to be taught something once and then fully understand and be able to apply it, and that is not the case.  Learning and having knowledge, or wisdom even, is a process, and is one that requires trial and error before mastery can be accomplished.