Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education

Sanders makes sure to point out that the purpose of the book is not to provide a step-by-step guideline to becoming a successful student, rather he is offering a new way to view and discuss the purpose of a college education and how best to take advantage of educational opportunities. The tone of the essay is very personal. The author addresses the reader directly with the second-person pronoun, “you,” and the language and style is very informal and colloquial. In an interview with the publisher, the author states that he wrote the essay using his “teaching voice,” rather than writing in an academic voice. The simplicity of the language and style makes the essay accessible for a wide audience, especially the targeted audience: incoming freshmen from various and diverse backgrounds.

The first thing the author wishes to make clear is that a college education is not about learning or developing a specific skill set for a specific job, and that college was never designed in this way. The author provides a couple of examples of professionals hiring humanities majors for jobs like computer science, or how the director of a news agency preferred English or philosophy majors over journalism majors. Sanders is not solely recommending degrees in the humanities, nor is he attempting to dissuade one from studying STEM programs. His point is that the most important skills that one can obtain from a college education are independent of the student's chosen major; becoming a learner is the goal rather than gaining specific job skills.

This focus on skill sets segues into the next focal point of the essay, which defines the essay's title, becoming a learner. In Chapter 2, the author sets out to define what it means to be a learner, which is more than just its lexical definition. Being a learner means that one is always in a state of mind that is ready to learn, wants to learn, and never stops learning. The author makes a distinction between student and learner. A student is someone who is passive in their college education. They only do what is necessary to get a passing grade, never show initiative, and look forward only to graduation, never realizing the learning opportunities college offers. A learner, on the other hand, is very active and views education as a personal responsibility. They seek out opportunities, do not shy away from challenges, and place importance on knowledge gained rather than grades received. The idea of “becoming” is essential because much of what one learns in college is eventually forgotten or becomes obsolete. Therefore, being a learner is paramount to progression within any given field.

Furthermore, the continual process of becoming can provide the individual with four “vital qualities” (12) that will never become obsolete and are important for any job or endeavor. One quality is creativity, which thrives when one is not constrained by rigid thought, policies, or procedures. When one is not focused on the checklist of obtaining a college education, then one's mind becomes open to the many possibilities available. The second quality is critical thinking, which means the ability to think outside of the box. Critical thinking and problem-solving are nearly synonymous. The author outlines communication skills as another quality, but these skills are not the skills only a communications major can acquire; they pertain to learning to deal with professors, the financial aid department, fellow students, etc. For most students, the college years represent their first steps into personal responsibility, and for the learners who take advantage of learning how to effectively communicate with professors, for example, will find it easier to interact with their bosses, or authority in general, than those who have never been in similar circumstances. The fourth quality is character. The author highlights the fact that a learner never cheats, is responsible, and takes advantage of learning opportunities. These behaviors create productive members of society who possess the proper mindset to be successful in their future jobs and endeavors.

One large part about becoming a learner is the use of positive affirmation. Chapter 3 deals with what the author terms “distracting conversations.” These conversations are standard colloquial misperceptions about the role of a college education. For example, two of the most common are 1) college is only necessary to get a good-paying job and 2) college isn't the real world. Disregarding negative perceptions about college is the major premises of the essay. When one begins to see education as the best opportunity for learning skills such as critical thinking, effective communication, and the ability to research and be open-minded, then one is in a better position to take advantage of any learning situation in college or even later in the job market.

Chapter 4 outlines seven principles that are key to what makes a learner a learner. The major point that one can take from these principles is that a learner takes full responsibility for obtaining their education. A learner does not expect anyone to provide anything other than an opportunity to learn, and the learning is fully up to the learner. Furthermore, this means that learners are by no means passive. They do not wait around for the professor to spoon-feed them facts and statistics. A learner makes sure to answer and pose questions, do outside reading and research, and anything else that might enhance instruction in the classroom. The author highlights, again, how important it is to see learning as a state of being, something that is continuous and requires time and effort.

Chapter 5 quickly summarizes the entire essay and it provides a quasi-beginner’s checklist for taking the first steps to becoming a proactive learner rather than a passive student.