Preparing a meal encompasses all the steps needed until it is ready for consumption.
The term preparation has its etymological antecedent in praeparatio , a Latin word. The concept is used to name the process and the result of preparing (making something, having something to fulfill a purpose).
For example: “The preparation of this cake is very simple, you only have to mix three ingredients and put it in the oven for forty minutes,” “When I finish preparing the materials, we will begin to build the wall of the new room,” “ Hurry up with the preparation of dinner, the guests are already coming.”
Preparing, in this sense, is equivalent to producing, manufacturing or developing something . If a person comments that they will be dedicated to preparing the sandwiches that will be eaten at a party, they will be indicating that they will be in charge of creating said food.
Preparation as training
Preparation can also be the knowledge or training of an individual regarding some issue: “We need someone with good training in marketing to fill this position,” “A government cannot be formed with unprepared people,” “I don't think so. ” “I have enough preparation to solve a mathematical problem of this magnitude.”
Preparation is often confused with qualification , although the latter concept simply indicates that the subject has passed a course, whether tertiary or university, and has received a document that accredits his or her studies. Preparation is much more than passing through an institution, since it reflects the degree of commitment and understanding that the person has and has had with the subject, their skills, their technical knowledge and their ability to take advantage of their strengths to perform in a particular field.
For different reasons, it is normal that having a tertiary or university degree does not in any way guarantee having the necessary skills or knowledge taught at the institution that grants it. With certain exceptions, the range of performance of school graduates is very wide: from a student who did not make an effort and simply aimed to pass with the minimum acceptable grade to one who sacrificed hours of sleep and weekends in pursuit of To reach the highest possible level, everyone can become a doctor , engineer or graduate , for example.
In some contexts, the idea of preparation is associated with training.
A training
In another context, preparation can be a training session , a practice or a fine-tuning process to arrive in optimal conditions for an event: “In a preparation match for the Euro Cup, Belgium defeated Iceland three to one,” “ The Portuguese boxer lost the title because he did not come to the fight with adequate preparation,” “I did three months of preparation before participating in this marathon.”
Like all training, preparation to practice a sport or to play a musical instrument, for example, requires a series of specific and technical knowledge that allows maintaining a coherent line between the different exercises and routines. Furthermore, theory gives rise to planning, that is, thanks to knowing what to do and how to achieve it, it is possible to draw up a solid and effective action plan.
When there is not enough preparation, whether it is the knowledge base or physical training, only the most gifted people can obtain satisfactory results. However, raw talent is not enough and often fades when it is not polished: a singer with impressive natural abilities but no technique is more likely to lose his voice than a mediocre one with academic knowledge. It is worth mentioning that some fear that preparation interferes with inspiration, that it obstructs creative freedom and prevents reaching one's full potential.