Most students get up each day and head off to school. However, do they truly appreciate the experience? Schools provide students with teachers, opportunities, and experiences that can help shape their futures. Many students have mixed feelings about school. Some are inspired to learn, while others have become disinterested in the learning process. High school students often complain about school. Early wake-up calls, homework, and tests can make spending so much time at school seem difficult. Since school is such a routine part of life, many students navigate their coursework without fully understanding its value. While students may not always enjoy school, many may not realize how much it helps prepare them for the future and provides opportunities they may miss once they are gone.
Markus Green, a freshman, says, “I hear so much complaining from students daily about attending school. If these same students did not have the opportunity to attend school, I am sure they would have suddenly realized just how much they missed learning and interacting with their classmates.”
There goes the thought that students too take education for granted because of their inconsistency in performing their best academically. Assignments not turned in, failing to participate in class, or other forms of academic lack of energy, to sum up to the issues of a teacher. Others think that education does not do much to equip a student with a future career, skills, or independent living. As Kamryn Martin, freshman, puts it, “Some students feel it is okay to be casual about school now, but they’ll miss it.”
However, most students love school, regardless of their attitude toward their subjects. School is not all about grades and homework; it is about friends, activities, sports, clubs, and memories that may last a lifetime. Teachers and support staff, significantly influence student’s academic and personal growth. Education is relevant in all grades because of the lasting impact on students in later years.
School offers opportunities that many people do not fully appreciate until they are older. In addition to core classes, students can participate in sports, clubs, performing arts, career and technical education programs, and leadership opportunities. These experiences help students build skills, discover interests, and prepare for future careers. Whether students realize it now or not, school provides opportunities that can have a lasting impact on their lives.
By focusing on the experiences of students, it is clear that school is about more than just homework, tests, and grades. It is a place where students learn, build friendships, explore interests, and prepare for the future. While it can be easy to complain about school, many students may not realize how important these experiences are until they are no longer available. School may not be perfect, but it provides opportunities that can help shape who students become long after they leave the classroom.
