re: Academic focus

Subject: re: Academic focus
From: Bill Swallow <bill_swallow -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 09:33:06 -0800 (PST)

> Know anyone who regrets having learned something?

Yeah, me. I was taught very ineffective methods of
document design and other processes in the past, and I
regret having ever been taught them. In some cases
these ineffective methodologies were easy to
"unlearn", but in other cases, it was damn hard to
change the way I did things. Example: I was taught a
specific way to approaching a documentation task in
college. I'm not saying that what I was taught is
wrong, but on the job I learned a better way of doing
things.

Higher education is not always a good thing. Will I go
back? Sure! But... I'll keep my mind open. Just
because a professor says it's right doesn't mean it's
right. Unfortunately, many people come out of higher
learning with nothing but the school's way of doing
things. That way may be old, biased, or incorrect.

Sure, I only have my BS under my cap, but, I can tell
you that I've worked with MANY people with higher
degrees, and many of them were still using old school
methodologies that did not fit the scenario. Why?
Because that is what they were taught and that was
what they were comfortable with. To them, it didn't
matter that there was a better way of doing things;
they were taught not to question what they learned,
for it was "correct".

The one thing I don't regret from my schooling...
being taught to think for myself and weigh everything
accordingly. THAT is the one thing I don't regret
learning.



=====
Bill Swallow
Technical Writer
PowerAdz.com
518.687.6107
bswallow -at- poweradz -dot- com

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