I’m writing this as quite a hypocrite.
Like plenty of other students, I often find myself grumbling about the amount of homework I have, along with the hundreds of minutes I spend each day sitting at a desk. It’s easy to complain, and sometimes, when the pressure is too much, it really is that big of a deal. Except, at a certain point, we have to recognize that school, and all learning frankly, is a privilege.
251 million students are still out of school worldwide (UN News). It seems that as a generation, we forget just how lucky we are. Each one of those children will likely grow up to never receive what others groan about every day: an education.
Forest Hills Central is an extremely fortunate school. It has some of the best academic opportunities in our state: advanced classes and extended learning at the tip of our fingers. Yet I find that many take that factor for granted. Learning is such an important aspect of life. It allows us to develop critical thinking and continue to create a better society than we’ve had in the past. We can use these skills to make, reflect, and improve. So why would we waste what so many others would dream to have?
Especially with a rise in AI, I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the lack of gratitude for an education. I see students using it to do their homework and finish papers, and I can’t comprehend why. The skills that we’re using and building when we’re sitting at desks are important, even if they are boring at the moment. They are what 251 million children out of school are unfortunately unable to access.
To resort to having a robot do your work for you is, frankly, sad.
Each assignment is a way to learn. It’s a way to express, at least somewhat, that you deserve an education. Even subconsciously, it’s a way of showing gratitude for having an opportunity to learn. By using robots, you’re completely wasting your time and everyone else’s. This should be a wake-up call. With every question you plug in, you’re indirectly taking time away from somebody who would be so incredibly grateful to be in your place.
Education is more powerful than anything. In current politics, it’s been increasingly evident that learning about topics all around is vital and needs to happen. With the right to vote—and change our country, in a sense—it’s key that we have people who have gone through the process of developing critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. It’s not just important to learn for our own sake, but for the entire world. As cliché as it sounds, engaging in conversations made through every lesson is one step closer to becoming someone who could change the world.
The fact that each one of us can come to school each day and is provided with materials and teachers who want to genuinely support us is an honor. I often have to remind myself, too, that my complaints are sometimes dramatized and that it’s incredible I’m able to have these opportunities. Expressing your gratitude can simply look like showing up, doing what you’re supposed to do, and taking time to recognize that it’s amazing we can sit at these desks and learn every day.
