This article is dedicated to everyone,
who has used at least one of the following phrases!
Since I have moved to the Netherlands for my studies, I received many questions regarding this topic. As I mentioned in one of the first articles, it was one of the driving forces for the creation of this blog. Belonging to a more communicative part of our population, I had some very interesting discussions with many people. I collected a few most used phrases. Those made me wonder if a school is really worth something. Let’s go step-by-step…
“School doesn’t teach me anything!”
If I got a euro every time I heard it, I’d probably have a very nice amount of money on my account. But you know what? I don’t believe you! You can learn from everything. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about a primary, a secondary school or a university. Maybe they won’t help you solve mysteries of the universe, but at least you’ll become more responsible. Trust me, just the fact that you’re trying to pass will help you realise that if you want to reach your goal, you need to do something for that.
If nothing else, at least learn how to manage your time. Time is very precious and that’s why you need good time management in order to use it to the fullest. Dedicate part of the day to work, part to relax and part to have fun. You’ll definitely be thankful for this lesson later in your life. 😉
“School doesn’t give me anything!”
One of the major things I have learnt abroad is that it’s not about what school can give to you, but what YOU can give to the school. Sounds weird, right? Schools love interesting, innovative and creative solutions. Many schools also use a so-called DIY System. They will give you the guidance and then let you choose your way of applying it. Sometimes you need to be like Sherlock Holmes. You need to browse through websites and look for different projects and extracurricular activities you could be part of. It’s not very usual that the school itself would ask you to cooperate (if you’re not one of those extraordinary students). This way you are able to get a lot from school.
“School is impractical!”
Another phrase often used to support the thought that school sucks. Everyone would like to become a CEO right after school and earn a crazy amount of money. Though, it’s not that easy. It’s true that it’s a big benefit when you have any experience. However, it doesn’t mean that the school is completely irrelevant. The school should provide you with all the theory you can later use in practice. No-one said that you can’t gain any practical experience during school. That’s why we have internships or part-time jobs. It probably won’t make you a CEO, but at least you can be sure that you’ll get a much better position than when you’d do nothing besides the school.
Maybe we should blame school less and look at it from a different point of view. Think of what YOU can do for the school and for YOURSELF. The school is not here to teach you everything and to hold your hand your whole life. It is here to show you different ways and to open your eyes. But if you still feel that your school sucks, maybe it’s time to think about change (you shouldn’t stay at the place, which slowly destroys you).
