Every day, I wake up at 6 a.m. to the rhythm of loud, obnoxious beeps playing two times a second. Immediately, my hand slams on the snooze and back in my bed. Sometime around 6:30, I wake up drowsy and usually more tired than I was the previous day. When I get to school, I always expect to get another tedious assignment with expectations I’m afraid I can’t meet. I do my best just to reach the bar of what my parents, teachers, and I expect out of myself.

As you could probably tell, I don’t always look forward to going to school. I love seeing my friends, achieving accomplishments, and working hard to get accepted into college. To be honest, these things aren’t enough to motivate me to seize the day.

There is a balance between memorizing and understanding that schools still have to develop, but it’s easier said than done. But without changing ourselves, we can’t take anything away from school.

Our hearts have changed towards education; I know this is true especially for me. I stopped caring about discovering new things and instead found fulfillment in a grade– that gave me grit, but I can’t say I became someone better out of it.

Most people are excited about school in the beginning of the year but are ready to quit near the middle of the year. I still have joy in learning about worlds and sciences around me, but after doing assignment after assignment, it’s easy to get careless.

Coming into school usually feels like another job that you come in to complete and survive. I don’t want to feel like it’s a struggle to survive. Instead of memorizing a textbook, it should be about expanding our worldviews.

When I learn, I want to have an understanding of what and why I’m doing something rather than just regurgitating answers. I want this school to prepare us for the real world and expand my understanding of it. Make every moment on earth meaningful, not just an endless grind. Come to school to grow and discover who you are.