There is no way of getting around it. Education has become something unavoidable, something that is no longer done out of curiosity, but out of need. Gone are the days when just knowing information could get you through life with some level of comfort. Now you must pay an institution a handful of years and several thousands of dollars, and they'll give you a slip of paper in return. The problem that we have with education now is that everyone goes to school because they have to, not because they want to. They see it as a chore and try to find good excuses to get out of going to class. Here are some things I learned throughout my academic life.
School can definitely be fun. The hardest part is figuring out what you enjoy and what you are good at learning. The classes you take should be subjects that you actually have fun with and can thrive in. When I have early morning classes with a good professor and a subject I like, I really do not mind getting up early. When I have a lot of schoolwork to complete, I enjoy it because it is interesting and fun to do. I strongly believe that people studying fields related to their interests will be happier, more successful, and more fulfilled with what they do. Success is not only measured by the amount of money you make, but also by the goals you have achieved in your life.
School is also a great place for you to learn how to manage your time. As someone who is very involved in school and organizations on campus, it is important for me to be very organized. Admittedly, the time management tactics I brought in from high school did not work well my first semester of college. My second semester, I finally learned how to structure my time so I could handle all of my activities and give as much as I could to each of them. I have my own system to make sure I’m on top of my assignments for the entire week. My planner is filled with assignments due throughout the entire semester, as well as all my test and quiz dates and dates I need to block off. I have learned that the key to proper studying is figuring out how to organize your schedule, not just finding a way of learning that works for you.
Although school can sometimes be a drag, the most important thing that you can do is let yourself grow as a person. That means that you should learn how to be comfortable alone, to cook, and to find things that you enjoy. Since school is already stressful, you should find ways to de-stress yourself. You also need to know how to handle others who might stress you out. Take things with a grain of salt and learn to let bad situations go. I think the most stressful part about school is having to balance your time with all of your friends. It is definitely hard to juggle school, friendships, and relationships, and sometimes you have to take a small loss in one of those departments. It is like in Economics -- everything has an opportunity cost. It is hard to make everyone happy. What I've learned is that it is more important to make yourself happy than anyone else.
School is a hard and exhausting, but it can be a lot of fun, too. To students on the quarter system, welcome back to school, and to everyone else, good luck on the first midterms of the semester!
