The Difference Between Academics and Learning I always rushed through school. As a kid, I’d calculate the rate of textbook chapters completion I needed to maintain to finish in April instead of May. I worked straight through any optional breaks so I would finish at noon instead of mid-afternoon. School seemed like a necessary evil. It was something I knew I had to do to be successful, but it seemed so pointless all at the same time. “Real life” had nothing to do with Earth Science, English Literature or Algebra. “Real life” was about solving problems and getting things done. [...]