To those struggling at school,

It’s that time of the year again. August comes around, with its rain and the ruminant anticipation for another school year. Summer isn’t over, but “summer” vacations sure are. You try laughing at the irony of it, while harbouring the all too familiar sinking feeling in your pit of your stomach when you think about the unfettered heat of classrooms, the dull drudgery of back-to-back lessons that do not inspire you and long winded assemblies listening to the principal talk; no one can tell what he’s saying, because the speaker’s audio is always garbled.

On paper, school is a symbolic haven; a place to branch out, learn and explore new ideas, hone your interests and overcome challenges to grow as an individual preparing for practical life. However, there’s two sides to every coin, as is the case with school.

One very significant thing that schooling fails to take into account is that we are not all exactly the same, therefore, we cannot be gauged by the same measure. Each one of us are tiny fragments that make a whole; our society. All of us carve and pave our own way to form a community. No two people can be entirely alike and neither are their abilities. The diversities that exist between us are opportunities to foster unique collaborations not to divide us further.

Rote learning has been primordially preferred, as opposed to nurturing free expression in students from a young age. The result; most students are unconsciously adopting passive learning habits rather than actively engaging with the material at hand. Some students may adapt, and sail through the education system but students that cannot keep up are allowed to slip through the cracks; labeled as failures. Which is an incorrect assumption, because learning is a trial and error process that is ongoing throughout your life.

Often, the label  “struggling student” is enough to damage one’s self-esteem and confidence more than the problems they are facing in studies. However, if you deep dive into the problem, it becomes increasingly obvious that their case is not one of personal failure, rather the cause of internalized shame, no positive mentors or a solid direction in life.

In society, the struggle of an individual is only recognized and upheld, when positive results become apparent which breeds the unhealthy bias; if you are not immediately good at something, you never will be.

But it is not true. Once you open your mind to new possibilities and re-frame the “weak student” narrative, you have already won the first phase of building resilience.

Challenge the notions that limit you. Perhaps your learning style is just different, you don't find it easy to pay attention during class because you’d much rather read a book about the material instead. You're a visual learner. If you prefer auditory resources and discussions, and remember stuff better by hearing, you're an auditory learner. Kinesthetic learners prefer a hands-on approach.

The best educators are those that keep a delicate balance and manage to meet every student where they are.

We are not meant to regurgitate the same information we read from the textbook and photocopy it onto paper. Learning is hardly a process that happens only in your mind. It is a multifaceted experience, most of all learning is exploration, thinking about the material, finding ways to implement math in your real life. Now, I’m not saying you have to go and buy 10 watermelons from the market like our friend Peter from the word problems. But you can try to be more proactive with what you are learning because knowledge can be a lifelong treasure if preserved well.

Another prevalent aspect of school that dampens the entire experience is bullying. We’ve all seen it. The merciless teasing, name-calling, taking apart someone’s appearance, mocking their tone or family is a common occurrence in schools that has not been dealt with as strictly as it should be. If you’ve faced it, I am so sorry. 

I assure you that you have so much more to offer to the world. Life is never static, and that is its beauty. Do not lose yourself under the weight of remarks that only aim to belittle you. Do not limit your spark, your hobbies and your voice because someone cannot handle your light. Life is bigger than bullies, I promise it gets better. It starts when we choose where to place your focus in a world filled with endless noise. 

Do not be disgruntled if one path doesn’t work out for you, you have no idea how many paths are waiting for you to traverse them. Broaden your horizons, never give up on your hobbies and keep your sights on your true calling. Believe in your abilities, talk to the people that seem interesting and never stop learning.

I hope your school year will be rewarding and fruitful. I'm rooting for you.

Yours truly,

Someone who has been there