At first, my high Existential learning style results seemed to conflict with my Logical results. Based on the types of questions asked in that section of the test, an Existential learner is someone who likes to think about what his/her place is in society, and dwells a lot on topics concerning ethics, philosophy, or religion. I am not really a religious person, and I think that one reason for this is that I am a skeptic. Skeptical, practical, and realistic are all words that I could use to describe my "Logical and Mathematical" self. In a way though, my high score in this area does make some sense, even if I cannot picture myself in a constant state of wonder at the universe's "unanswerable questons."It is impossible for me to dismiss my high Existential Learner score, because despite my hesitation to believe or devote myself to many intangible theories, I am as stubborn and loyal to certain beliefs as I am skeptical of others. I also care a lot about what I can do to make the most of my life: I definitely don't want to become one of those people who look back on their decades on Earth and say, "Well, at least the food was good." Although I certainly hope the food is good, I want to help people as much as I can, and (even though it is horribly cliche) I hope to make a difference. This is part of the reason why I am a part of Child Labor Education and Action, and why I am applying to the Janeway Scholarship program in Botswana. Being a member of CLEA has helped me think of the "bigger picture;" after all, there are a lot ofimportant things going on in the world that are way too easy to ignore. This March, I am going with some of the other people in CLEA to Nicaragua, and I can hardly wait.
I think that my being an Existential learner supports my dominant, Interpersonal side. When I think about who I am and what I want to do, I think about other people, as opposed to obscure ideas about the true unknown. I love to be surrounded by crowds of people and hang out with friends, and I love telling jokes and stories.I think that one way I learn is by relating a subject to human beings. For instance, I had to recently write a paper for my Janeway Application about global economics. Instead of writing about the endless strings of numbers and statistics that are related to this subject, I decided to focus on the human face of free trade- and let me tell you, it was a whole lot more interesting than macroeconomics ever could have been. This might be part of the reason why I find English and History easier than other subjects.
