‘School’ this word is perhaps indescribable in my dictionary now. Growing up, I was accustomed to getting up at 6am and leaving for school by 7am sharp. The monotonous schedule I was adhering to made me believe that school is unquestionably a headache. However, as I stepped into the world outside school, known as ‘university’, I realised that school had been an eye-opening bittersweet experience.

It may sound cliché, but I miss those days dearly now. As I walk through my journey of pivotal lessons I learned in school, I hope that you can deeply embed them in your mind to make the most out of your student life.

Hard work is better than being naturally intelligent

It is human nature to procrastinate once in a while. However, once it becomes a habit, it is necessary to break the cycle and critically focus on the task at hand, instead of merely relying on intelligence.

School teaches us the value of hard work over intelligence. Regardless of how good we are at a subject, we are bound to attempt all questions in the long pile of home tasks assigned to us every week, without seeking shortcuts. Our teachers implement the “practice makes a person perfect” phenomenon by constantly giving feedback on our homework and commanding us to revise thoroughly. This approach may sound overburdening now, but once you graduate from school you will realise that these strategies helped shape your mindset towards hard work.

I unconsciously adopted the pattern of rechecking my work multiple times in university, and I strive to submit the best version of my work by putting in an immense effort, all thanks to the time I spent in school. This method has undoubtedly helped me achieve substantially better academic performance.

Your school friends are unforgettable

Yes, you may quarrel with each other at times, but the friendships you form in school sometimes offer you the best memories, that get imprinted on your heart forever. You will find some amazing friends later in life, and indeed friendship should not be measured by duration. However, according to my experience, the friends we grow up with hold the keys to different doors of our personality, as they have seen us transition into different phases of life, and evolve as individuals.

School friends extraordinarily shape our personalities; as they teach us the feeling of belonging and provide us with emotional support. They do not mask their true feelings, and the constructive criticism they give upon us opens our eyes to reality. In short, when we are young, the friends around us present us with their honest feelings without caring about the aftermath of being blunt. This approach eventually leads to us developing a bond that is never-ending, and we can even confide in them whenever a predicament arises.

The discipline you learn in school goes a long way in life

School encompasses more elements than merely providing a platform for education. Our school teaches us something more valuable as it unconsciously modifies our behaviour and instils discipline.

An example can help elaborate my point better: when I was in school, I despised the fact that I had to strictly adhere to the attendance requirements to appear in exams, I had to raise my hand to answer questions and I had to seek permission before leaving the class.

But now I understand the true value of these requisites. The etiquettes I learned then have helped me present myself in the best manner now in front of my university teachers and peers. Discipline has also helped me in navigating the dynamics of teamwork, because speaking politely has given me the power to settle teamwork disputes efficiently. Thus, now I am often applauded for my punctuality, along with communication skills.

Concisely, the notion that we go to school to gather “education” is merely a façade. Our school provides us with a lifetime learning experience, which transcends all boundaries. It possesses the ability to teach us the fundamentals of critical thinking and also helps us in improving our personality drastically. Thus, it is high time that we start appreciating our school, as it is our backbone in life.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 8th, 2023