4 Life Lessons I Learned from School
School teaches you about academic topics, but these lessons may not apply to your real life. Although it would be great to have schools teach real-life topics, experiences for real life can still be gained through school. Here are 4 lessons that I learned this school year that can be applied to your real life:
If these tips are all you want, have a wonderful day! If you want more detail, I will talk about my experiences with these tips and how to apply these tips to your life.
1. Make goals.
In my homeroom class, we were encouraged to make goals every week. My homeroom teacher would discuss these objectives with me in a weekly one-to-one meeting. With goals, I could track my progress on what I wanted to do in life.
Make goals for the areas that matter to you. Try SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound goals. These offer a much cleaner direction toward life change than a vague sentiment. These are also great for feeling progress toward the things you desire.
2. Speak up.
I was a shy kid at the start of the school year. I wanted to change, and I was determined to talk in class. I made goals and followed through. However, as the year passed, I started to speak less and less.
Speaking up is a great way to learn. You will get feedback on what you say, whether that is if your answer is right or wrong, a response to a question you ask, or even a reply to your comment. If you feel resistant towards talking, like I do, try your best to do it anyways. Take a small action. Raise your hand. Go up to someone. Make it easier to speak up. And when you speak up, you will share your viewpoint with those you speak to. This opinion that you have can drastically alter the course of the conversation. Talking will make you feel better about people’s choices, knowing others will consider your ideas.
3. Write down what you need to do.
I used a calendar to track every class I needed to attend on a given day. I used a to-do list to track every assignment I needed to complete and their deadlines.
Use a system to keep track of your events and tasks. It can be on paper, and it can be digital. Whatever works best for you. Write down every occasion so you remember each one. Write down every task, even small ones, so you do not have to remember each task yourself.
4. Stop waiting until later to do your work.
Procrastination is easy. Extremely easy. I waited to do many homework assignments until the night before they were due, and I would not get a head start on my other homework assignments.
“Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.” - Benjamin Franklin
Take action. Don’t wait. Do at least some work. It is better to start on your tasks than to do nothing. And when you finish the job, it will feel like freedom to have nothing you are required to do.
Ending Notes
There are many opportunities in school and general life to improve yourself. These experiences that you have, little things that you notice, enhance your life if you take action on them. Look for opportunities to improve yourself. Look for opportunities to take action. Remember to take action on those opportunities. Life is a journey. Taking action on the opportunities provided to you will improve your life and make your life more enjoyable. Have a wonderful day!
Written by Joshua Coquia, with edits by Gurmukh Singh