For as long as I can remember, I have loathed going to school. Despite this ever-present feeling, it is with no doubt that I am privileged to be able to pursue further education. Coming from a household with two teachers as parents, the importance of education has always been instilled in me. The funny thing is, while being “anti-school,” I love to learn.
I carry the quiet burden of hating school but loving to learn.
When it comes to topics that I find interesting, trust I will dive deep into learning the ins and outs. Even topics I’ve already been introduced to or fully taught in school are so much more interesting when I do my own research and can indulge in the subject through my own ways.
Curious if others felt the same way, I came across an interesting idea: when are students most excited about school? Kindergarten. Kindergarten is when students were recorded to be the most passionate and enthusiastic about attending school. This data is referred to as “The Jenkin’s Curve,” a visual indicator of where student passion dies off, dropping as the learning curriculum structure becomes more controlled and rigid. This tends to correlate with the progressive grade increases.
Reflecting now, as my second year of college comes to a close, I feel like I was in a learning plateau in high school. Now, having the freedom of choice, the choice to determine what subjects I study reignited a curiosity that I lost.
I love to learn. Filling my brain with information, articulating things I love, and studying subjects not force fed to me in classes is what I truly enjoy. While this is the ideal situation, we also need to learn to learn about things we don’t find “interesting” to not only understand discipline and effort in education, but also to fully enjoy and recognize the topics we are passionate about.
In this world everything is so temporary. Wealth is temporary. Looks are temporary. Youth is temporary. Knowledge is unwavering.
Ultimately, learning is the strongest form of armor we can carry.