Older Adults Attending College
Many high school graduates enter college right away and that’s usually the case but seeing college students who look like they already have a full-time job for their career is another story. Some people would jump to the conclusion that the older students were super-seniors in high school or kept getting left back in college. In fact, there are many other reasons why older students start or come back to college later. One reason can be that they did not have the money to attend college, especially if they were not eligible for financial aid. Another reason is that some might be indecisive of their career and they keep attending different classes that are required for their major degree. But also, some students have dealt with a lot of stress to the point where they had to take one or more gap years and then they decided to come back to college. Always think about this statement, “You can enter college at any time after high school.”
Failing Tests
Disclaimer, this does not apply to students to consistently fail tests because they don’t attempt to put in some effort in their classes. There is always those few students in your classes who are well-known for high grades so people expect them to do well in every test. However, those “smart” students are humans, not robots, so they might fail a test or two. That does not mean to tell them “I thought you were smart, you shouldn’t have failed that test;” this puts more burden on them because they now have to keep their “smart student” title. Exams and assignments should not be considered as a competition to see who is the best student. This is the reason why a number should not be the most important thing in life. A student’s effort in something is what should be considered in life.
Asking “Dumb” Questions
Do all of your teachers always say this phrase: “there is no such thing as a dumb question”? If they do, then they mean it. Everyone learns the material at their own pace so one student can understand it quickly and another might be a little slow. Now if someone asks a question that was just answered, that’s a different story. But if a student asks to elaborate, it shows that they don’t understand it. This is also where some teachers should try to collaborate with the student and help them until the end; there are some teachers who are impatient and won’t help out a student.
Having Friendship with a Teacher or Staff
Most students think teachers only teach their material to get paid and that’s it. In fact, they are also your “counselors” because they want you to trust them and help you get through life. You don’t have to get too personal with your life but if you are struggling at home for various reasons, your teacher can be someone you can talk to. Majority of teachers are parents so helping out a student in life is like helping their own child(ren). Even if some teachers seem strict, they are more than happy for you to open up to them because they know you trust them deeply.
Calling Out a Student/Teacher/Staff for their Actions
Standing up for someone or themselves is a brave move. An example can bullying between students. Another example can be verbal or physical abuse between a teacher and student, or even between two teachers. Some teachers will not be the nice teacher and will try to get things their way. Now I know there have been cases where the school won’t do anything towards the situation but the more you call it out, you become stronger and persistent because you know that they will have to come across it anyways. It also helps bring more awareness in school and keep everyone safe.
Talking Back to a Teacher
It is always annoying when the teacher tells us to not talk back to them because we’re being disrespectful. But that should not stop you. They have to understand that we cannot stay quiet the whole time because they will be the same ones who will say “why aren’t you saying anything? You’re making yourself look clueless and bad.” They also should not be surprised when we say no to them. It should not be normal for teachers to penalize the whole class if someone talks back because that’s the point in having a conversation. If they want us to have a conversation, then let us talk back, or WE, as students, will give THEM, the teachers, the silent treatment. We should not be forced to say yes to everything they ask us to do.
There are more things out there that are normal but these are some common things. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and stay tuned for more content!
