Back to School ... 101

 Greetings favorite bloggers of mine... I would like to take a few moments to elaborate on my point of view of grade school. We are at that season where all our children are restarting the academic school year. Actually it's been a couple of weeks in already, I wanted to reflect on my own personal experience versus the actual school system now in progress. 

    I overall did fairly well academically speaking with grades and my actual learning; however, socially from peer to peer it was a hidden struggle to feel like I was accepted and I had an equal part in our student body. Let me dive in into specific details: 

    1. I never felt comfortable with any one group of peers 

    2. Every group of peers treated me like I was the outcast of the group (they never really included me in the group conversation nor did they care to ask for my opinion on the subject at hand)

    3. My junior year I always had lunch with 3 other girls who were 2 latinas 1 black; one day 2 of them were absent from school and the one who had come that day specifically told me in the bathroom before lunch don't be looking for me at lunch I will be in the library instead... in that moment I was like wow so you're just gonna leave me by myself & she said "all you do is follow us around" that was so hurtful & I never felt more rejected & alone 

4. Everyone would always hangout after school hours and during the weekend, but was I ever courteously invited ? No, I was like well this is so awkward and uncomfortable always being left out of these group outings & then hearing everything that happened. 

I honestly hated the social aspect of being in school. Every time the teacher would instruct let's pick a partner to do this activity-- my heart would sink to my stomach because I already knew it would be a struggle to be selected by anyone. Whenever the teacher would ask a question in class I would beg God not to be called on because I either didn't know the answer or I just didn't want the spotlight to be on me. I was never confident to participate in class discussions or was so afraid of defending my beliefs because of the fear of how my classmates would react-- so I was an expert at staying to myself and keeping my mouth shut. 

    My teachers would sometimes highlight my A grades in front of the class and everyone would be like she actually has an A in class even though she never participates. I felt even worse because you didn't have to be a mind-reader to know exactly what they were thinking of me with those stares and glares. 

    Despite all those awful moments of being the last one to be chosen or acknowledged everyday in school, I truly would not have opted out of physically being in school. Today students have a much broader opportunity to study remotely and still gain a meaningful education. Yet, I still firmly believe the peer interaction in person creates the stamina character we need in life to face real-world problems. Online education is awesome for extreme limited cases like cancer patients or people with physical limitations, but going to school on a daily basis gives you lessons the virtual schooling will never allow you to acquire. 

    I would like to encourage every parent to strive to allow your child to be an in-school student and also encourage students to endure the peer pressure despite the emotional toll it takes, because later on in life you will be thankful you grew from those days. To be able to transfer those skills as a student to an employee are so crucial and believe me it is best to learn those social skills from a young age. So no one takes advantage of your naïve character or lack of discernment to people's malice intentions/manipulations.  

    Just a few tips for academic success every student can benefit from:
1. Do your best not to leave assignments for the last minute; procrastination is not your only option
2. Do not be embarrassed to ask questions in class or to ask another student or the teacher after class
3. Balance doing homework with at least 1 fun activity so you can relax and destress (Ex: one movie, one dinning take out, anything you enjoy doing EXCEPT DRUGS/ALCOHOL/SEX )
4. Understand that you are more than a GPA and academic success is not only being in the top 10% of your class, but how well you adapt to change and ability to learn & then perform 
5. College is genuinely not your ONLY OPTION EITHER ; becoming a manager or supervisor in any industry is still a respectable job or starting your own personal business even if it's just you charging for services like tutoring or selling your artwork 
6. Be open to participate in extra curricular activities at least once in a while, because you never know what new opportunities may arise or new hobbies you may acquire 
I hope this blog helps the student body and you learn from my mistakes. Remember your purpose exists and you should never give up on having a bright future. Thank you for your time and as always remember to view my videos on YouTube and come follow me on Instagram or Twitter. 
Love, 

Ana :)