"Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.”

Anonymous

Some people have clearly set plans and goals and lay down their lives to cope, others mark time being at the crossroads and there are some who think: "What am I worse than Bill Gates or Rockefeller?” So, you may ask: ”What are you talking about?”. Sounds a bit strange but I raise a question of education. Some pin their hopes on it to make their way in the world and their opponents don’t completely draw attention towards it. Wherever shall I go now?

The first and central question that arises and needs to be answered is ‘What exactly is education?’ Over the years we, students, may profess to be educated. Fourteen or more years of our lives have already been spared to different institutions. Can we say that by now we clearly understand the aims of the education process and its importance? Is education just a compulsion, required to attain livelihood, or is it all encompassing, required to succeed in all aspects of life? There is a very good definition of education that I have come across during my relatively short school practice. And here it goes:

"Education encompasses both the teaching and learning of knowledge, proper conduct and technical competency. It thus focuses on the cultivation of skills, trades or professions, as well as mental, moral and aesthetic development.”

Are we able to ignore education? In the XXI century the value of it has taken on a whole new meaning. Education is an important tool that contributes to various aspects of a person’s life in order to take advantage of what has been learned and the way to apply it productively in either private or professional life. Being educated is something that is always being looked at as a positive achievement that feels useful and looks good on a curriculum vitae. Education can almost assure someone of making more money in their lifetime. So, no matter what, education is the key that allows people to move up in the world, seek better jobs and ultimately succeed in life.

In that regard, I would like to focus my talk on education - its importance, the virtue of having it, the vital necessity of getting higher education and pursuing the studies.

The importance of learning and grasping some quality education, enabling the individual to put his or her potentials to optimal use is clear. Without education the development of the human minds is incomplete and, frankly speaking, useless. No individual is a human being in the exacting world until he has been educated in the proper way. Now I'm not saying you're not a human being without education. The mind is made to be exercised and without education a person is incomplete in that sense. A human being remains a primitive animal who gropes his way in the dark caves until the torch of learning will lead him out to the sun helping to become a Man. Education makes a man a right thinker and correct decision-maker. In other words, a human being becomes a kind of rational animal when he is educated. It achieves this by bringing him knowledge from the external world, teaching him to reason and acquainting him with the past history, so that he may be a better witness of the present. Without education a man, as it was, is shut up in a windowless room. With education he finds himself in a room with all its windows open to the outside world. As you see, people who are not educated have fewer opportunities while they are searching for fulfillment.

Education dispels ignorance. It is the only wealth that cannot be robbed. Learning includes the moral values, the improvement of character and the methods to increase the strength of mind. The importance of education should never be undermined. All over the world people agree that education is the key to a healthy mind and successful life. Francis Bacon, a renowned philosopher, said, "Knowledge is power”. Knowledge and information are received and spread throughout the world by means of education. Education is the capacity of putting one's potentials to maximum use. It is vital to the healthy growth and development of the personality.

The significance of education cannot be neglected by anyone. The fundamental purpose of it is to create good human beings. It should help the youths find their ways of understanding life; it opens doors for new opportunities in various fields and explores new areas. Education must help the youths realize their goals. A person who gets good education will become a more dependable worker, a conscious citizen and a stronger consumer.

All over the world even at distant places the one who receives education is usually, admired, praised and even envied by the members of a community. There is a sense of admiration but at the same time there is a sense of jealousy as well. Seeing your peer doing better than yourself causes some tension and envy because of the scarce opportunities available.

With respect to a special place of studying, I simply can’t help mentioning this. University is much more than just higher education required; it is a way to secure a job in any chosen field. In the present days, attending a university is practically presupposed by school-leavers and their expectations are great. A university degree significantly increases anybody’s chance of "doing well” in their adult life and one with university education can expect to earn considerably more money than one without. For some people university may be the way to improved lifestyle; for others it may only be a small step in the pursuit of their dreams. Sure, there are jobs out there that don’t require university education and to be quite honest some of them may not pay all that bad, but those jobs are vanishing quicker than the earth’s rainforests. By getting solid five year university education under my belt, I will be on sure ground reserving a place for myself in the future job market. Attending university requires perseverance and sacrifices, but it pays. That’s why I have decided to enter the university. I will not stop going forward in my education until I feel I deserve being called a Man.

To top it off, your first goal is to graduate from high school or college with your Diploma, because as George Santayana said: "A child educated only at school is an uneducated child”. The next step is to attend university to obtain a degree that you would like to pursue. Without education you wouldn’t get good pay or promotion that you deserve. Importance of education allows you to have a good job security and knowledge of your field. Another reason - everything is competitive now, if you apply for a job it is good to show on your résumé that you have an education to back up your qualification.

I want to emphasize that good education is much more than just the classroom-based learning of facts or even the skill of critical thinking. Formal education is the starting point for a lifetime of learning and doing. And a truly outstanding education is one that instills in people moral values and ethical behaviors.