What a fast summer!
I cannot believe that most of America’s students are already back in school, and that autumn is just around the corner.
For students especially, the end of summer vacation is always bittersweet.
But the start of a new school year can produce memories that last a lifetime, and the lessons that you learn during the school year can help to shape the rest of your lives.
So, as carefree days turn to nights of homework and serious studies, here are two pieces of advice to guide you this year.
First: even if you don’t like going to school, try to find at least one subject that excites you. Stretch your imagination, and expand your interests. Sometimes, finding a subject that excites you will take place in the classroom. In other cases, you’ll find that you learn a lot from extracurricular activities that link back to your studies.
Regardless of where you find these subjects that motivate and inspire you, work to find them. Once you do, ask lots of questions, and treat the pursuit of knowledge as an adventure. Work hard at conquering that adventure and meeting even tougher challenges.
Second: make it a point, this year, to treat your classmates, your teachers, and your parents with respect and with gratitude. Be friendly. This suggestion sounds trite, but imagine how much better school, and our world, would be if everyone just followed this advice?
Right now, there is a lot of division in our country. Don’t be a part of it. Be a part of the healing, and a part of the solution.
Being respectful, being grateful, and being friendly – especially when others aren’t acting the same way – will put you in the right frame of mind to tackle this school year with success. You’ll be more open to learning, more accepting of other people’s challenges and talents, and you will bring out the best in others, too.
That’s it: two pieces of advice. Find something that interests you and pursue it, and be as respectful and friendly as you can to everyone you meet.
I am sure there are plenty of other things you need to remember, but I’ll leave those to your parents.
I wish you the very best of luck this school year. And, regardless of what type of educational environment you’re in – traditional public school, public charter school, public magnet school, private school, online academy, or homeschool – we at National School Choice Week look forward to celebrating your success in January!
Learn more about National School Choice Week’s President, Andrew Campanella.