I find that a lot of people seem to think that the education major is "easy".

Why wouldn't it be? We are just relearning what we've already gone through 12 years of high school exposed to, right? We probably just color or make graphic organizers for the whole class, and talk about the best ways to make sure our students have all of their tests on the same day, right?

Wrong.

Every semester that I have had so far, the education class (or classes) in which I have been enrolled have been among my toughest, in terms of the sheer amount that has to be read, designed, written, or presented. I've spent countless hours of my nights or weekends doing solely my education homework- studying for my next big test or exam, reading research article upon research article of effective teaching strategies, drafting unit plans.

All of this paired with the work of the discipline in which you have to double major- English, History, Foreign Languages, etc. On top of your other classes and commitments as well.

It's much harder than one may initially think.

And at least at my school, the education major is one of the most rigorous, and perhaps even selective, majors on campus.

Although, on any campus, I know that most education majors can relate to a few particular stressors.

1. All The "In-School" Experience

Although this is one of my favorite parts of the major, it is also one of the most difficult and stressful. It is certainly true that you can only learn so much from a book, and to gain real knowledge and experience at managing a class you must actually practice on a real class. However, the time and energy needed to visit schools, observe, and teach lessons, on top of balancing work, sports, clubs, and/or a full course load, is exhausting. Getting up for the start of a high school day while maintaining a college student's sleep schedule, and worrying about transportation and scheduling when you have no time, does not make the major any easier.

2. The Licensure Testing

In Massachusetts we have the MTELS, and I'm sure there are plenty of other types of testing to which people from other states can relate. These are the high-stakes tests that we need to pass in order to become a teacher... and if we fail, we just wasted our time, money, and perhaps cannot obtain a license to teach. It's scary, and necessitates even MORE outside studying and work than the major itself to ensure a passing grade.

3. The Paperwork

CORI forms, rubrics, units, worksheets, tests, essays... need I say more? All the education handouts need their own binder by the end of the year.

4. You Have to be Accepted

From no other major at Assumption have I heard that this is a thing, and I'm not sure if it is at other schools. But for the education major not only do you have to keep up the grades and respectability that other majors require, but you actually need to apply- get letters of recommendation and write pages of essays in order to be accepted. This is a lot of pressure for someone who planned their first two years of college to revolve around this "perspective" major.

5. The Students

On a lighter note, I have recently had two experiences with students that have aged me well beyond my twenty years. The first was at a grocery store in my hometown when I was met with one of my old students from my first ever student-teaching experience classroom, back when I was in high school. She was my cashier, and after reminiscing about the class for a couple of minutes she started telling me about her fiancé... last I saw her, she was in middle school. The second experience was while reading a student's formal essay and not understanding the current highschool-aged "vernacular" that the student was using... who knew that the word "tony" is now an adjective? Teaching can certainly make even the young feel old.

6. LESSON PLANS

We may someday outgrow their comprehensive use, but until then these are the bane of our existence. Hours go into every detail of preparation, planning ahead, and planning around, and all elements have to connect to common core standards, making the process of design all the more tedious and exhausting.

All of this isn't to say, however, that the rigor and expectation of the education major should not remain this way.

Teachers in other countries, like countries with the top education systems in the world such as Finland, hold their teachers in much higher a regard than here in the United States. Teachers are highly trained in this competitive profession, often come from the upper percentage of their graduating classes, and are held to an esteem comparable to that of doctors or lawyers here.

And this is not a difficult argument towards which to make a favorable claim.

We are, after all, molding the young minds of the nation, providing them with the tools and tricks they'll need to best live a productive, happy, and fulfilled adult life. We play a huge role in the way the future generation of the country will conduct itself and academically succeed.

So I will agree that all the training, hard work, premature aging, and reading will be worth it, if I can come out as a confident and well-qualified professional, ready to shape the next generation of thought.