Do you study to pass exams, or to truly understand? I’ve always studied to learn — driven by curiosity, not curriculum.
This mindset helped me master subjects outside school, become a tutor at 12, and build a career rooted in knowledge and insight. Studying to pass exams was never my objective and the curious learner in me always wanted to go to great depths to truly understand the subject matter.
In this post, I’ll explore how this philosophy can transform education, career paths, and personal growth.
I grew up in a household where intellect and literature were the norm. My dad had made a point of not buying a TV. So I grew up with no TV to watch. Books were the only means of keeping oneself busy and entertained. And boy did my dad have books — a LOT of books. We discovered the expanse of his personal library when he passed away in 2005. His personal collection of books had well over 3000 items.
I had started getting my hands on his books from the age of about 7 and by the time I was 10, I had already read the History of England twice. It was in fact my granddad's book, published in 1889 and covered history of England from the year 868 through to 1857.
History wasn't the only subject of interest for me, the 10-year-old me also read a book titled 'The Prospectus', it was over a 1000 page book with brief history of philosophy, and contained brief life history of and quotes from hundreds of philosophers and thought leaders ranging from Aristotle and Plato to Mark Twain and Albert Einstein.
This habit accompanied me throughout my life and even today, while my family watches TV, I sit on the sofa with them, mostly reading the book, while taking a peek at the TV from time to time. In fact, my family watches TV while I join them, sitting on the couch as I write these very lines.
This lifelong habit of reading, led by my inquisitive nature and deep-rooted desire to learn has enabled me to gain qualifications in a number of subjects including Applied Psychology, English Literature, Journalism, Business, and Information Technology. I didn't pursue these qualifications to follow career in those, I merely studied them because I just wanted to learn those subjects as they intrigued me and I enjoyed learning them.