Re:That's what happens (Score 1)

I agree that the curricula of most US schools are flawed. Although problem sets and tests (that is, the ability to think quickly on familiar problems) are important in learning, they are by far not the end goal. The goal of education is not to do well in school per se (in terms of grades), but to be able to apply your knowledge to new situations to synthesize new, creative solutions. Unfortunately schools leave little room in their curricula for this process.

Although schools are a necessary step, it seems many students get lost/discouraged there, and being discouraged -- that is, not seeing "the light" through it all -- is the worst thing that can happen to students. No matter how "institutionalized" schools may be (as a discrete set of majors, as a rigid set of classes), each student has his/her own unique approach and hybrid interests, and I think schools could do more to encourage and amplify the very personal pursuit of each student. Ultimately an inner drive (that is, something beyond "rewards" like grades) is the most valuable lesson any school could give. I know this is typically saved until grad. school, but perhaps it should come earlier.