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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra

TheValueofTheorecalAndPraccalKnowledge
byStevenBradleyonFebruary2,2012
ArchivedinWhatever
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Acoupleofrecentguestpostshavediscussedthevalueof4yearandonlinedegreesas
comparedtolearningonyourown.WhileIveaddedsomethoughtstotheprevious2posts,I
wantedtoclarifysomethinginapostofmyown.
Incaseyoumissedthemherearethe2guestpostsImreferringto.
IsAnOnlineDegreeInWebDesignRightForYou?
SEOEducation:OnlineDegreeOrTheSchoolofHardKnocks
BeforeanythingelseletmemakeitclearthatIthinkknowledgeisincrediblyimportantto
anycareerandlifeingeneral.InthesignaturetomyemailIaddalinefromaBobDylan
song.Browniepointsifyouknowthesong.
Henotbusybeingbornisbusydying.

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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPracticalKnowledgeVanseoDesign

Iusethequoteasaremindertoalwaysbelearningsomethingnewandalwaysstrivingto
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grow.Themomentyoustopdoingeitheristhemomentyoustopbeing.
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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra

Theoryvs.Praccal
Whenitcomestoknowledgetherearedierentkindsofknowledgeanddierentwaysof
acquiringeachkind.Ononesideistheoryandontheothersideisthepracticalapplicationof
theory.Bothtypesofknowledgeareimportantandbothmakeyoube eratwhateveryoudo.
Ithinkthosewhoadvancethefurthestinlifetendtobethosewhoacquireknowledgeatboth
endsofthespectrumandacquireitinavarietyofways.

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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPracticalKnowledgeVanseoDesign

Theoreticalknowledgeteachesthewhy.Ithelpsyouunderstandwhyonetechnique
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workswhereanotherfails.Itshowsyouthewholeforest,buildsthecontext,andhelpsyouset
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strategy.Whereselfeducationisconcernedtheorypreparesyoutosetadirectionforyour

futureeducation.Theoryteachesyouthroughtheexperienceofothers.
TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra
Theoreticalknowledgecanoftenleadtoadeeperunderstandofaconceptthroughseeingitin
contextofagreaterwholeandunderstandingthewhybehindit..
Practicalknowledgehelpsyouacquirethespecictechniquesthatbecomethetoolsof
yourtrade.Itsitsmuchclosertoyouractualdaytodaywork.Therearesomethingsyoucan
onlylearnthroughdoingandexperiencing.Wheretheoryisoftentaughtintheidealofa
vacuum,thepracticalislearnedthroughtherealityoflife.
Practicalknowledgecanoftenleadtoadeeperunderstandingofaconceptthroughtheactof
doingandpersonalexperience.
Bothoftheaboveareimportant.Youwontsurviveinanycareerunlessyoucanbringresults
andtodothatyouneedpracticalknowledge.Theresnoavoidingit.
Atthesametimelearninghowtosolveaspecicproblemonlyteachesyouhowtosolvethat
sameproblemagain.Practicecanonlytakeyousofar.Theoryhelpsyouapplywhatyou
learnedsolvingoneproblemtodierentproblems.

FormalEducaonvsSelfLearning

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FormalEducaonvsSelfLearning

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Formaleducationtendstoleantowardthetheorysideofthespectrumandteachingthingsto
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yourselftendstoleantowardthepractical.Youcanlearnboththrougheithermethod,but

eachtendstogiveyouali lemoreofoneovertheother.
TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra
Thekeytoge ingalloftheknowledgeyouneedistounderstandthatwhicheverroute
youvechosenyouveprobablygainedalotmoreofonesideoftheknowledgeequationand
needtospendsometimeacquiringknowledgefromtheotherendtobalanceyoureducation.
Ifyougothe4yeardegreerouterealizethatmanypeopleintheworkforcecanalready
performthespecicsofyourjobbe erthanyoucan.Itsuptoyoutoputinthetimegaining
thepracticalexperienceyouneedtocomplementthetheoryyoulearned.Whileinschool
dontpassonopportunitiestogainthepractical.Applyforthatinternship.Trytogeta
summerjobinyourchosenprofessionnoma erwhatthespecicjob.
Ifyouskipschoolandgostraighttotheworkforce,understandthatyouneedtoacquirethe
bigpictureviewofwhatyouredoing.Grabsomebooksonthefundamentals.Auditcoursesat
nearbycolleges.Setamoreformalpathforyourowneducationbeyondthedaytoday.Be
moreactiveinunderstandingwhydierenttechniquesworkastheydo.Devotesometimeto
studyingthemesinyourcraft.
Inthemiddleistheonlineeducation.Itsformalityoersachancetolearntheory,yetmany
onlinecoursesaimtogetyouintotheworkforceassoonaspossible.Theymaynotexcelat
eitherend,buttheydooeryouthebalanceinthemiddle.

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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra

IsThatPieceofPaperWorthIt?
Thequestionabovereallydependsonyourspecicgoalsandthepathyouplanontaking
throughyourcareer.Ifyourplanistogointobusinessforyourselfthenno,thepaperthat
certiesyouearnedadegreeismeaningless.Icantellyouthatnoneofmyclientshaveever
askedtoseemydegrees.
Thenagainifmybusinesswasinanocethatclientsphysicallyvisited,Ibethanginga
degreefromaprestigiousuniversitybehindmewouldhelpclosedeals.
Ifyouplanonworkingforsomeoneelsethedegreetakesonmoreimportanceandthethe
largertheentityyouwanttoworkforthegreatertheimportanceofthatdegree.Whenyoure
beginningyourcareeryouhavenoexperience.Itdoesntma erwhetheryoure18,22,or50.
Youstartwithoutexperiencelikeeveryoneelse.
Withoutexperienceitcanbehardtondajob.Thatpieceofpaperwiththedegreeonit,isnt
experience,butitsarecommendationfromatrustedsourcethatsaysyouhavethe
frameworkinplacetogainthepracticalexperience.Thedegreetellsothersyouhaveastrong
foundationonwhichtobuild.

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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra

Summary
AsIvesaidthroughoutthispostandeverywhereelseIveevertalkedaboutthistopic,the
educationyougetismoreimportantthanwhereyougetthateducation.Youcaneasilynd
examplesofpeoplewhodidanddidntgotoschoolwhowentontogreatsuccess.Youcan
equallyndexamplesofpeoplewhodidanddidntgotoschoolwhoendedupasgreat
failures.

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Thereisatheoreticalsideandapracticalsidetoknowledgeandbotharevaluable.Thetrue
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mastersofanycraftordisciplineunderstandbothendsofthespectrum.Theyputinthe
hourstoacquirethepracticaltechniqueswhilealsopuDownloadingforconversion...
inginthetimetounderstandhow
TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra
thosetechniquestintoalargercontextandtraditionandwhytheywork.

Whetherornotyougotoschoolorjumpdirectlyintotheworkforceisapersonaldecision
thatsbasedonavarietyoffactors.Doyouneedtostartearningalivingrightaway?Howdo
youbestlearn?Willyoubeabletopickupthetheoryandcontextonyourown?Doyouneed
moretimegainingthepracticalexperience?
Onlyyoucananswerthosequestionsandonlyyoucandeterminewhichisthebe erpathto
startouton.However,focusingonlyononesidewhileignoringtheotherwilllimityouin
waysyoumayneverevenrealize.

Downloadafreesamplefrommybook,DesignFundamentals.

12comments
ClimaxMediasays:
February2,2012at9:18am

Ahhh..Theneverendingdebateoftheoryvspractical.Educationvshardknocks.the
educationyougetismoreimportantthanwhereyougetthateducation.
Wellsaid!
Reply
StevenBradleysays:
February2,2012at2:16pm

ThanksElijah.Appreciatethekindwords.
Reply

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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPracticalKnowledgeVanseoDesign

sio.luisays:

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September18,2012at6:10pm

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Thedegreetellsothersyouhaveastrongfoundationonwhichtobuild.Asalecturer,thisis
TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra
thepassportforthosewhowillbegraduatingnextyeartoenternotonlyinto
employments/jobsbuthighereducation.
Reply
StevenBradleysays:
September18,2012at11:22pm

True.Iknowsomepeoplearedownonge ingadegree,butIthinktheystillhave
value,especiallyifyouwanttotravelcertaincareerpaths.Insomeadegreeisstilla
necessity.
Reply

Jennifersays:
February8,2014at5:38am

Ifoundyourarticlewhileresearchingconcepts+theoriesversuspractical.
ReadingaboutMBTI(MeyersBriggsTypeIndicator)therearequestionsdiscerningwhether
youarebe erwithconcepts/theoriesorthepractical.
Afterreadingyourpiece,Ibe erunderstandhowtodierentiate.Moresimplyput,MBTI
wantstoknowdoyourelymoreontheexperienceofothersoryourown?
Thanks!
Reply
StevenBradleysays:
February10,2014at2:26pm

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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPracticalKnowledgeVanseoDesign

IneverreallythoughtaboutMBTIasrelyingonyourownexperienceortheexperience
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ofothers,butIcanseehowthepersonalitytypescanbedividedalongthoselines.
Interesting.

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TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra

IdothinkthatsalotofhowtheoryvspracticalshakesoutandasyoucantellIthink
bothareimportant.
Reply

KentLarryLongsworthsays:
March18,2015at10:19pm

likethisarticle.itwasveryhelpful.thanksfortheinsightontheimportanceoftheoryin
education
kent
Reply
StevenBradleysays:
March24,2015at6:19pm

ThanksKent.Imgladyoulikedthearticle.
Reply

Deeptisays:
March14,2016at8:30pm

HelloSteve,IamDeeptifromIndia.Ireallylikedyourarticle.Iamfacingthesameproblem
atmyworkplace.Iambeingcomparedwithjuniors.Ihadgainedknowledgeinthepastbut
todayIamnotabletoapplyitinmyworkasIdontreallyreadaboutthatknowledge
anymore.
Isthereanythingyoucanhelpmewith?IdidnotgainenoughpracticalexperiencewhenI
wassupposedto.AndtodayImissthat.
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Reply

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Friedasays:

TheValueofTheoreticalAndPra

May10,2016at8:14am

Imworkingonmyresearchaboutindustrialpharmacyplacementprogramsandthishas
proventobetrulyhelpful.thankyouverymuchMrBradley.
Reply
StevenBradleysays:
May10,2016at1:09pm

ImgladIcouldhelp
Reply

harshdhillonsays:
June20,2016at1:33pm

ThnxguysithelpedmealotinmyschoolprojectbutalsomotivatedmetostudiesthnxalotI
wouldlikeyoutopublishanarticleonmotivationinstudiesthathowcanwedivertourmind
towardstudiesmore
Reply

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