This isn’t necessarily a popular question, but I do see adults complaining about the school system and kids complaining about school in general. So, I wanted to give my two-cents about school. First, I want to talk about the public school system. I used to go to a very unique school, so going to a public high school took a little bit of adjustment. The thing I had to adjust to was the teaching style. A lot of public school teachers give you resources for you to teach yourself, and I wasn’t used to having to do that. I was also getting a ton of homework, which I handled well, but I started becoming fatigued all the time. I felt like I became a slave of CPS.

However, this feeling only lasted for the first semester of freshman year. I got better at working with their teaching styles, and I made sure to schedule in time to read or paint on the weekends. I also got closer to my new friends, so I enjoyed the school days more. The main problem that I have with some schools (my school is generally good about this) is the lack of help and support for their students. Some schools have just one counselor for the entire student body. There is a lot of pressure to get good grades, a good SAT score, and to just be an all-around great student. But, a lot of kids have things going on in their homes, and they may need help to get on the right track. Luckily, I go to a well-funded school. We have a good arts program, we have all the textbooks we need, and it’s relatively clean. It has to be harder to learn when the learning environment isn’t good. Thankfully, my teachers in Chicago went on strike last year, and I think some good changes will be made. I hope there’s more equality of opportunity.

On another note, some kids can’t handle the workload, or at least, they don’t want the work. This causes those students to not do homework, which causes them to get bad grades, which can cause them to give up on their grades, and the cycle continues. The worst part about this cycle is that those students are throwing away their chance at a good college. If school is only good for one thing, it’s good to invest in. Many people struggle with feeling like they are out of control, but one thing you can control is your grades. Education is a good thing to control because you can only benefit from the investment. Doing homework is a more serving activity than doing drugs. I’ve also found that homework can be a good distraction from the harsh realities of life. I don’t have many harsh realities, but I know people who do. For those people, grades can be encouraging. If you’re having a bad day but then get a 100% on a math test, the rest of the day will be good. If nothing in your life is going right, no one can take away the fact that you’re a good student. It’s a healthy thing to take pride in.

Education is a good investment, and you should take full advantage of it. But, there need to be improvements made to many schools so that everyone has a good education.