How School is Practice for Life
To every single student in school right now, listen up!
I'm going to give you a piece of valuable advice that I give to all my students: school is training for the rest of your life. How you act and perform here will be an indicator of how you will be in your future.
How you do one thing is probably how you do everything. If you consistently show up late to class, it sends a message to your teachers and future employers that this is what you will be like. However, if you show up early to class, then you'll probably show up to work, meetings, and all other appointments. Showing up early really helps make a good impression.
Turn in your assignments on time. Meeting deadlines is an important life skill to have in any career. Practice as much as you can now.
You'll also have to play well with your classmates. It's perfectly fine to discuss, ask questions, and give feedback to each other. The teacher isn't the only person in the room you can learn from. Collaborating with your classmates helps you work collaboratively with your future colleagues.
Try hard now. If you work with 50% effort now, it tells future employers that if they hire you, you'll be hard-working 50% of the time and lazy the other 50%.
The good news is that there is always time and room to grow. Everyone, including myself, has space for improvement. You know what your strengths are and what needs to be developed.
This classroom is your gym. You yourself have to put in the effort to improve, simply being there isn't enough. If you want to get fit, you need to physically run on the treadmill and actually lift the weights yourself. The same dynamic happens in the classroom. If you want to learn, you must read the textbooks, complete the assignments, and do whatever you need to do to get the best grade you can.
Being in school gives you a unique opportunity to explore and discover the world around us, its tremendous history, and the fascinating people in it. It also gives you the space to seek out who you truly are. Take advantage of this opportunity.
Roderick Conwi is an educator who writes about personal and professional development at Nourishment Notes. He has a background in instructional coaching, curriculum development, and educational technology. He is also the author of The Procrastinator's Quick Guide To Getting It Done. To get powerful insights to enhance your day, join his FREE newsletter.
