CHOICES

When you’re 21 years old, more or less, and you ask yourself, "What have I been doing the past 21 years?" And you would probably reach the conclusion that more than ¾ of your life had been spent in school.

Different people view school life differently and the differences can be greatly attributed to the (again) different activities that we engage in. For you see, school life is not just about lessons, assignments and other academic stuff.

A great part of what we are now and what we do is influenced by our experiences, which are directly or indirectly school-related. The school setting/environment gives us lots of opportunities to gain skills, develop talents, pursue dreams, meet friends, acquire and develop values and most importantly, make decisions.

How we lead our life and spend our time is our choice - no matter how much we are bullied to do this and that, or that we are too shy to join orgs, or that we have to prioritize. In the end, we make/made the choices and we can certainly change or modify those.

Having been what most would say “active” in school, I have acquired a fair understanding of the different types of students we have.

The primary purpose of going to school is of course, to learn. And there are students who actually take this more seriously than others; where they equate learning with having excellent grades. They are the competitive ones. I know because I was once an exaggerated, competitive student where a grade is not good enough unless it’s 1.00 (98-100) and that 1.25 (94-97) is not too bad but I would kill (or fight with) a teacher who’d dare give me 1.50 (90-93).

But not all competitive students are that exaggerated, especially if they know their limitations and weaknesses. 1.75 will not be too bad and it will still keep them in the Honor’s list.
The downside: The moment they get their first mark which does not fall under their expected grade category and the hopes of honors evaporate, they could lose faith in their studies and start to drift, welcoming depression and you can speculate the worse. Bitterness would rule over life. That is sad…….
Advice: Change the attitude. Do not let grades rule over your life. Yes, do strive to achieve your academic goals. But remember, life does not end with one low mark or by not getting the “laude”. For the real measure of success is not by the number of awards you receive but how you have put to good and positive use all that you have learned.

And there are those talented ones, the artists who see school as a venue to develop and showcase their skills and talents. There are many organizations in school for dancers, singers, writers and others; where students can be with people who share their interests and who can relate to them. And working together, dancers, singers and other performers give us wonderful shows and give the school honors if they win in competitions and perform in big functions.
The downside: Some of the students become “exclusive”, limiting their group of friends to those who belong to their org. Others also major in their org activities and treat academics as their minor. (Take note of the words ‘some’ and ‘others’).
Advice: Do not compromise your academics. It does not mean though that you have to give up the extra-curricular activities. Be a responsible student. Believe me, you can have it all. And do not limit your friends. It’s also rewarding to have friends of all sorts, including classmates. You can mutually help each other in schoolwork.

We also have politicians, public servants, and the likes……… You see them around – giving speeches (or lectures), initiating and organizing activities, smiling and waving. The school has a student government. It has leaders, funds and projects/activities. There are also curricular, extra-curricular, program and civic clubs and orgs. By being a member of an organization, one develops people-skills as well as leadership and management skills which will prepare him/her for the greater challenges of the working world. You serve people and at the same time learn. And there are innumerable benefits as well as pains (see my next article).
The downside: Student leaders can get so engrossed with the organization and its activities that they may forget the original and bigger reason for schooling. So much time might be spent for the org; that their life will revolve around it. It’s wonderful if the experience will help one develop values but it’s sad when being a leader will lead a person to believe and act as if he/she is above others.
Advice: Again, assess what your priorities are. Know your limits. There are people who can pull it off – do good in academics and at the same time, are responsible leaders. The best lessons, which are the values that we embrace, are learned not necessarily inside the classroom, so go for it.

The shy ones. Some people are awfully shy that they are never able to gain friends and would never consider joining organizations. They go to school, enter classes and at the end of such, will leave. They choose the people to whom they open up with.
The downside: They may be talented but their skills are unheard of and unseen. They may even be intelligent but would never recite and share in class, thus, would still not get good marks. The few friends they have acquired might meet other friends, thus, will not be exclusive to them.
Advice: Try to combat what fears you have. Seek help. We have guidance counselors who may do so. It would be better to start taking off shyness now because after college, we all have to deal more with people, whether we like it or not. Be prepared.

We can also encounter students who couldn’t care less and treat schooling as a requirement in life where passing the subjects and graduating are good enough.
The downside: Everything…….
Advice: Do yourself and your family some justice. Education costs a lot and you do not just pick up money from anywhere. It does not come to you for free. For starters, you don’t pay for your education. Payment of your tuition fee comes from your parents’ (or some others’) hard work.

And more (too many to mention)……………..

A student cannot be limited to only one of those mentioned; or might not even qualify for one of the above.

What kind of student you may be can greatly influence the person you will become. I hope that you make the right choices now.

(Haha...... As if I am in the position to advice or even comment. There is simply nothing else to do.)