Study Habits Transcend Educational Disparities] From Homelessness to Harvard - What is "Everyday Learning" that Leads to Success?
Study Habits Decide the Future?
Many parents who are passionate about education say, "I want my child to have the ability to be successful in the future,
- "I want my child to have the ability to be independent in the future.
- "I want them to be able to live on their own, without depending on anyone else.
This is the wish of many parents and guardians.
Academic ability and deviation score certainly affect income, career, and educational background. However, what comes before those "results" - that is **"study habits "**.
Today, we will share with you how study habits can change your life through the true story of Liz Murray, who went from homelessness to Harvard University.
It wasn't academic credentials that made all the difference, but an "attitude of continuous learning.
Liz Murray was born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, USA, to drug-addicted parents.
Her mother died when she was 15, and her father was homeless. She found herself living on the streets.
However, believing that she was the only one who could change her life, she taught herself and graduated from high school in two years.
For her efforts, she won a New York Times scholarship and went on to Harvard University.
At night, she studied on a subway bench with her notebooks spread out, and she says that "learning was the hope of life," not anyone else's instructions.
A Negative Cycle of Poverty, Lack of Habit, Low Income, and Short Life Span
In fact, many children in an environment like Liz's are at a disadvantage from the start of their lives.
- Decreased ability to concentrate
- Negative impact on brain development
- Lack of learning habits
And if they grow up without the habit of learning, they begin a cycle of failure to go on to higher education, inability to find regular employment, and poor health.
In other words, poverty is not simply a lack of money; it is a state of deprivation of the opportunity to learn.
Some people may say, "Poverty is just a thing outside of Japan, isn't it? or "It has nothing to do with my home country. Is this really true? Japan's real economy is declining year after year, and real wages are falling. It is sad to say, but it is also true that an increasing number of families are forced to cut back on the amount of time they spend on their children's learning.
Pitfalls of "passive" learning
Many parents tend to think that their children are fine because they attend cram school, but there is also this pitfall.
- Students become "passive learners" (only doing what they are told to do).
- They do not feel the joy of learning (they assume that "studying = endurance").
- They do not develop a spirit of inquiry or creativity.
Especially in elementary school, it is an important time to acquire an "attitude toward learning" rather than knowledge.
It is said that fostering "the ability to think" and "curiosity to try things" during this period will make a big difference in their future academic ability and career.
The foundation for learning, which cannot be nurtured in cram schools, is provided after school.
I want to know! is the starting point for this exploration program.
At Craftsman, we provide interest-based learning through STEAM education.
Children are not "forced" to learn. and they are ready to learn.
Quiet learning time" is a habitual part of the program.
After school every day, we set aside time for reading and homework. This is designed so that learning becomes a natural habit without the need to tell students to study at home.
Fostering "non-cognitive skills" that affect annual income
Non-cognitive abilities," which have been attracting attention in recent years, such as self-control, persistence, inquisitiveness, and cooperativeness, are deeply related to annual income and social success.
At Craftsman, these abilities are designed to be nurtured from "how you spend your daily life.
There is a future that cannot be reached by "cramming alone. It is the habit of learning that changes lives.
Liz Murray, who was homeless in a very difficult environment, used her "learning habits" as a weapon to open up her life.
This story is based on a lecture I took at a university I re-enrolled in after graduating from college. The lecture was on health, and it was about the relationship between poverty and life expectancy in the United States. Simply put, a high annual income increases life expectancy, while a low annual income shortens life expectancy.
I found out that this was Liz's real-life experience.
If you are interested, please check out the following Youtube videos of the lecture given by Liz on TED and the episode broadcasted on "Jiten, 100 Secret Scoops of Torihada" on Teleasa.
Our children have a better start.
Now all they need is the habit of learning on their own, and they can seize any future they want.
At Craftsman Afterschool,
✅ Learning that starts with interest
✅ Design that becomes a habit
✅ Experiences that nurture thinking, creativity, and human skills
With these three pillars, we nurture "the ability to carve out a life" that cannot be developed in a cram school alone.
Learning habits are life habits.
The "multiplication" of cram school and craftsmanship will change your child's future.
