"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” He probably meant that if one invests their time and money into education, that investment will pay them back more than other investments. Expanding one’s knowledge through education pays back by providing many career opportunities in the future. The purpose of going to school is to prepare students for future work by giving them knowledge and experience. While primary and secondary education is an investment of time, it teaches important basic knowledge that one can use in a variety of careers. Post-secondary education like college then requires an investment of money in addition to time, but it prepares one very well for whatever profession they might want in the future. Investing resources in knowledge at a young age will allow that investment to pay back throughout one’s life through higher pay.
I found it compelling how Franklin used the terms “investment” and “interest.” It made me think of how many people make investments of money into stocks and bonds, which pay back at a later time in the form of interest. Similarly, knowledge takes an investment of time and sometimes money to acquire it, but knowledge pays back when it is needed. What was especially interesting, however, was how Franklin said one gets the “best interest” with knowledge. Other investments such as stocks or bonds pay interest too, but putting one’s money into higher education often will pay back more in the form of better job opportunities. This shows how education should be a priority for most people as it gives the largest payback in the future.
My investment toward knowledge in school has already paid back many times. One recent time was at a quiz bowl tournament. In quiz bowl knowing a tons of facts and information about a variety of topics is important, so I was able to use information that I learned at school. In each quiz bowl match two teams of four players compete; it works similarly to game shows on TV, with a player buzzing in as soon as they know the answer. I tend to specialize in math and science questions, so the many different science classes I have taken are useful. One question that I got quickly was about nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which I learned about in Biology. My team actually ended up winning the tournament in our division due to the payoff from our investments toward knowledge.