Ahhhhhhhh high school...
Arguably the worst 4 years of someone's life (even though I had a blast my 4 years, shout out to Ursuline Academy). Nevertheless, the worst 4 years for most people. I always wonder why this is. Is it because of the petty drama amongst young angsty teens? Is it because the copious amounts of standardized testing? Is it because hormones are raging and bodies and people are changing? Or is it because it has ceased promoting the love of learning?
Ding Ding Ding...we have a winner folks: high school has ceased promoting the love of learning.
My two friends from high school were here visiting Michigan and as we sat at Pancheros I told them the differences I had noticed between high school and college. I mentioned that although my grades don't reflect it sometimes (yikes) I actually love learning the material of my classes. I enjoy learning about the different government structures of Germany, France, the UK, and Japan; I think it's interesting that Reproductive Justice is a movement extremely relevant but not popular in the media. They concurred and said they were excited to come to college and actually like what they're learning. So then I thought, shouldn't high school be a place where students actually enjoy learning what their teaches are talking about? The answer? No, because high school has become more of a game than school.
It is a game of playing the system. How can I learn to take this test in a way that requires that least amount of studying possible. I need to take this test the right way to get the best grade to put together the best application to get into the best college. I need to be the leader of every club even if I don't really learn anything about France as the French Club leader. I need to get through this english reading so I can just take the comprehension test and get a 100%. I need to sit down, memorize how this reaction works and regurgitate it back on the test so that I get an A.
Students are no longer taught to enjoy the material placed in front of them. A textbook is no longer a coveted wealth of knowledge, but merely a literal stepping block to the next step in the system. This has to change back to how it once was! Students were EAGER to go to school not DREADING it. They ENJOYED learning about the U.S. Government and Biology instead of CRYING because they can't get a high enough grade to satisfy the system.
Schools must teach enjoyment of learning not stress over the grade that must be received to fulfill some societal expectation to follow the system.
My message to high school students: enjoy your classes. Don't worry about some bad grades and fulfilling the system. Once you enjoy what you learn the good grades will follow suit.
