My roommates and I have a notepad hanging on our fridge that we use to write down one new thing that we did each day. We do this, well, because our roommate told us that we have to. But we also do this in order to encourage ourselves to try something new everyday. A couple of days ago, one of my roommates wrote something that really stuck with me. She wrote, "I realized that education is a privilege." This is a phrase that I used to live by and I allowed it to encourage me in my studies. Now my education has become exactly what I did not want, just another thing I have to do.
So, why should we treat education as a privilege? Because it is. Not everybody in the world has access to the same level of education we do, if any at all. In our world, you can become literally anything that you want. You just study hard, work hard, and eventually it all pays off. For a lot of other people from different worlds, this is not the case. They may aspire to become a doctor, civil rights lawyer, teacher, or an engineer but it is highly unlikely that they will ever be given these opportunities. We have the right to free education for 12 years of our lives then you have the possibility of attending a university. This is not a burden.
Why else should we treat education as a privilege? Because it is most enjoyable this way. When you start thinking of school as just another thing to check off of your to-do list, it becomes increasingly more difficult. When you realize all of the information and resources that you have at your finger tips that is there to set you up for success, it all of a sudden becomes really cool. You do not have to learn these things, you want to learn these things. Education becomes less of a chore. Would you rather spend all day doing something that you hate or something that you love? It is all about state of mind and how you choose to think of things.
I know that it sounds cliche but knowledge truly is power. Knowledge gives you the power to think for yourself, the power to agree or disagree, and the power to become anything that you want. Your education is a privilege that many before you have worked and fought for. "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela.
