Being a student may seem like one of the easiest periods of life; you are in school to learn, living with your parents and not needing to worry about dealing with paying bills.
Yet, there are difficulties that come with being a student that we often overlook.
We hear about these problems sometimes in the news, whether it is a story about a child being bullied in school or the high levels of stress teenagers are suffering from due to overworking themselves. But these are stories covered by adults who no longer need to worry about navigating the stormy halls of academe. Who better to talk about student issues than students themselves?
Students are often patronized because we are considered to not have well-educated opinions on current situations. Not only teenagers have difficulties though, even younger students are affected.
From the beginning, some of us can be labelled “different,” separated from the flock and taken aside to receive special treatment. In some ways, it can make things all the more inconvenient.
Children are astute at perceiving the difference and can be especially harsh, forming elites and teasing their classmates; the kids who fall victim to this treatment may experience future problems as teenagers.
As we become older, a whole new world opens up; we understand so much more, for better or worse. Teens will make the transition from elementary to high school, and it can be very stressful trying to balance grades and a social life.
As each year goes by, there seems to be no going back. School can be fast-paced and if you do not understand something the first time it may be difficult to get a second explanation.
And there are also things we are not taught, such as how to manage money, pay taxes or plan for the future. These are the things left to our parents to teach us, or for us to figure out on our own.
The education system is slowly becoming better. More and more improvements have been made over the years. Children are no longer forced into the restrictive molds of society and are able to talk to their teachers about how they personally feel about their work.
This bimonthly column will centre on student issues. It will address the problems young people are facing in school and what we could do better to help our generation overcome these difficulties, and learn the proper skills we need to live life.
Macy How is a grade nine student at École Côte-du-Soleil.
