Clar.me

Over-educated

I’ve heard so many school teachers and so many school heads say that we should “put school first” and “prioritize our education”. I honestly think that it’s almost like they’re telling us that our schoolwork is more important than our happiness. It’s almost like they expect us to put aside everything else and put all our focus on school.

I know that’s not what they’re trying to say, but their words can be misleading.

If all you cared about was school, you’re definitely not going to make it through real life. You can’t just study your way through life, unless you’re considering a career in education, but even then, you’d have to have some kind of life outside of school.

One time, I heard someone say that we should “put education first before enjoyment”. Do they not want us to be happy? Isn’t enjoyment kind of the point of life?

Some teachers just don’t realize that we all have lives outside of school. They can’t just give us all this homework and expect us to finish it in 2 or 3 days just because we “had the entire weekend”. I do have a life, for your information.

I am grateful for my education, of course. I’m lucky to have it. It’s just that those times when they overload our schedules with homework and projects – sometimes they’re just too much. It’s like they don’t want us to live.

A perfect example was last trimester. My school is currently trying a completely different curriculum, yet it’s still trying to be the same traditional school it’s always been. It’s like they’re trying to make us do everything – prioritize both projects and tests, memorize and analyze – but we can’t do everything. That’s why, a few days ago, when we received our report cards, everyone’s grades crashed. There were parents yelling at their students in the hallway, top students devastated at how low their grades were and students cheering from the modest satisfaction of passing, expecting to fail.

It’s all because the school tried to do everything all the same time. I don’t really care anymore – it’s the school’s problem now.

And it’s good that no students had nervous breakdowns (yet). Your teachers are going to put every student’s health at risk if they don’t slow down their curriculum activities, or at least give you all half of the work to do, so that you can do more than one thing at a time. Teachers DO have a life, why students should not?! It’s nonsense. Students ARE human beings, and human beings are not computers who can spend the whole life computing. There’s need to be with family, friends, to eat and rest properly, to enjoy some hobby as an outlet for stress. I’m hoping they’ll step back on some of their decisions, especially after the general crashing of everyone’s grades. They took a false step, and they better repair it all before it’s too late.

P.S. Studying and work are priorities just because they let us live in the world. But it’s not ALL about it. It simply can’t be, it wouldn’t be human-like, it would be machine-like, in the worst sense.

Comment by Luana • October 10, 2010 • 12:05 am

Amen Girl, Amen.

Comment by Denise • October 10, 2010 • 11:59 am

That’s just nasty. Schools don’t know how harsh they’re being on the students as a whole. For them, it’s all about us upping our grades for their effin’ reputation. It’s kind of obvious the way they force us and the reason they’re doing it. Sometimes teachers want self-satisfaction, seeing the students do well, or avoiding themselves from getting fired for “being a bad teacher”. It just seems that it’s not about the students’ welfare anymore. It’s just whatever the heck it looks like on the outside.

Schoolwork should be a priority – but only to a general degree! Saying that school is more important than enjoyment can really discourage a student, especially one who already tries hard. It is important to have work and play. It’s why they have numerous sayings along the idea of “no work, no play”. It still gives the idea of balance and that you can play once you have done some work.

I dunno what’s into teachers these days. I personally feel lucky to have an education but I am grateful that some teachers understand that we have to have a social life. Umm… so remind me why they had lunch breaks again, eh?

Comment by Georgina • October 10, 2010 • 2:29 pm

Exactly. You can have the highest grades and ace in everything but if you don’t have any life skills, you’re gonna fail and suffer when they throw you into the real world. I don’t like when the employment services gets very obsessed with what degree you have and not the experiences that you hold.

Comment by Marina • October 12, 2010 • 1:30 am

I agree!! There are SO many things you can’t learn from schoolwork, at school, etc.! I don’t think there are a lot of people that understand. My grandmother drills into my head every chance that she gets how important it is that I “get an education” and then “further it as much as possible” to the point that I just … I don’t care anymore! It makes me feel like I’m not good enough.

I know that you have to have self-discipline, etc. to succeed in life, but a lot of people I know dropped out of high school/got their GED/never went to college, and now are living their lives happily. They have great jobs, know as much as I do (if not more), and one is a web/graphic designer and makes quite a bit of money.

I think a lot of elders are so fixed on money that they don’t see how WE are the next generation. There’s only so much they can do and have us do. I want to take classes online, but no one really supports me in that.

I feel like I don’t have a say in what I want at all. :(

Comment by Liz • October 12, 2010 • 4:59 am

“Never go to excess, but let moderation be your guide” – Marcus Tullius Cicero quotes.

Comment by Mari Javier • December 28, 2010 • 1:21 am

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