School Is In Session - It's Back to Basics!
When school is in session,
What do you do?
How do you tackle the coursework
That is in front of you?
Will you be attentive?
Will you listen and learn?
Will you operate in wisdom?
Will you persevere and discern?
Will you be promoted
Or get left behind?
Your progression or stagnation
Reflects how you choose
To spend your time.
Summer break is over, it’s back to the books. For now, the days of playing games and being undisciplined are over. Beep, beep. . . beep, beep. It’s time to dance to the beat of a different tune. Alarm clocks crescendo the start of a new day as attendance bells and elevator dings provide rhythmic melodies that beckon a call to action. When the alarm sounds, there’s no lounging around. It’s time to get up, get moving, and discover what the day has in store.
There’s something about school that instills a sense of urgency and order. Go to class, participate in extracurricular activities, study, repeat – day in and day out, the regimen is the same. Discipline, time management, and preparation are the order of the day. There is little deviation from the structure and rigor that is designed to induce success. An inquisitiveness awakens new opportunities, greater exposure, new relationships, and new mindsets. Those not seeking to expand their horizons will not embrace challenge or change. As a result, growth and advancement may not be realized.
Whether enrolled in the school of life or a conventional classroom, the mission of education is the same – instruct, inspire, and transform. Ultimately, a test will come, and if the student is unprepared, failure is imminent. To be successful both in life and the classroom, students must be able to take instruction and apply knowledge. Self-discipline is vital to success.
With so much material to comprehend, how can students best prepare for exams? Keep in mind that life lessons are just as critical as classroom instruction. Pop quizzes and open book tests are commonplace in either arena. Preparation for the trials and struggles of life are no different than preparation for the classroom. Students must be attentive, objective, decisive, self-motivated, and analytical. In either case, there are times of testing and times of refreshing, times for self-study and times for class discussion and participation.
Whether a student of life or a student of conventional learning, don’t get left behind. Eager students are avid learners that must pick up concepts and principles quickly. Enjoy the educational experience, but don’t become absorbed by it. Take advantage of every opportunity to expand your horizons. Learn concepts and principles the first time. There’s no need to repeat course material unnecessarily. Education grades you. Life matures you. Both strive to advance you. Regardless of the track you’re on, if you fail to be promoted, you have no one to blame but yourself.