Topic: It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? The issue of whether knowledge gained from experience is better than knowledge gained from books is a very complex and controversial question. Different people hold distinct opinions based on the different perspective. In my assessment, I think that knowledge gained from experience takes precedence over that gained from books. My argument can be aptly justified in the following reasons.
The most significant reason lies in the fact that no knowledge can be retained fresh and new without modification. That means, if we can not update the new edition of textbooks frequently and appropriately, it becomes so tough to keep up with the time. A good example can be found in one subject, called computer programming. With the advent of new technology and new software, fixing only on the outdated textbook can not satisfy the societies need. As a qualified engineer, who is good at the newest technology, one should devote his or her most of time into the practical experience, such as participating into a new project development or even discussing the controversial issue with peers and companions.
Another reason why I prefer the practical knowledge is because by way of participating into the practical exercise, it is likely to leave a more impressive memory and becomes more instructive. To illustrate, let us observe the process of how my friend, Sally, become proficient at accounting. At the first beginning, she could not grasp the core idea of accounting. For her, to remember the complicated process and rules was so tough that she continued to complain her study to me. However everything has changed since she took a part-time job in this area. Now she can be adept to handle all the difficulties through the short-term training. Last not the least, no one can deny that practical experience seems more challenging and more interesting, compared with the traditional education method. We can easily imagine this boring scenario effortlessly, in which students only follow the teacher’s instruction and are forced to remember the countless principles and formulas, like cogs of machines, with no independent thinking. Nevertheless, the practical experience will make us to become more independent. Through our own observation and active study, we can easily generate much more sense of involvement and facilitate the capability of handling conflicts.
Admittedly, some opponents will point out that without solid academic basis, we may find ourselves unable to succeed. De facto, when we put a high value on the knowledge from experience, that does not meant that the function of academic knowledge is ignorable and trivial. However, if we try to compare both sides’ advantage, it is easy to draw the conclusion that knowledge gained from experience has more benefits that that from books.
In general, on the basis of the above reasons, it is more crucial, on balance, to accept knowledge for students. When we take into account a lot of benefits practical experience can bring out, it is not hard for us to make a choice between the alternatives. |