Things I Learned From My Traditional Schooling

Although this is a personal opinion on what I have learned from my school and university years, but maybe some of the readers can relate to some of the points for themselves as well, and hopefully younger people will avoid these mistakes.

1. Time Flies: Although you can observe this elsewhere as well, but I can imagine that it seems only yesterday that I was in the first grade and now I've even graduated from university. All the hard work seems hard no more, nor can the time wasted in between be brought back any more. The value of time should have been learned during the summer vacations when their start used to seem like they would last forever. But that of course is far from reality. Time should be valued and taking it for granted only affects you. If you waste time, time wastes you. (i.e. it wastes your opportunities to learn, grow, produce etc.)

2. Library vs. Exercise: There are some children who love to read, while others who love to keep running around and play games. I always wanted to play and saw no real use of the library class. I was eager for the sports class all year round and perhaps even wanted the library to be converted to a sports class. But now I realize that both had their importance. Although I took a lot of advantage of the sports class and played to my full, I hardly ever read a book for years in the library class. Reading gives you knowledge that you never know how it would come in handy.

3. Depending on Textbooks Only: The obvious answer is no. A single textbook can be an opinion of a limited number of people. Besides, looking at different points of view allows you to understand the same topic from different dimensions and strengthens your understanding on the particular topic. We can use the internet, libraries, books etc. It just can't be true that your particular textbook has it all!

4. Depending on Teachers Only: With full respect to my teachers, it's true that you cannot depend on your teachers alone. Again, they are a single source of guidance while you need to seek more sources for varied points of view. You may understand better from elsewhere. And building more points of view allows a broader vision on the same topic. And it is totally TRUE that a particular teacher may not be talented, suitable or even learned on the particular subject that he's teaching.

5. Not Taking Your Education Seriously: This may mean many things. Since children can't see the future, they may not really know what their education really means. They may not know the consequences of taking education lightly. Taking education seriously means learning well. Seriously doesn't mean you don't enjoy. You learn best when you're enjoying, so enjoy, dive deep and take it all in!

6. Thinking that Your Marks Represent Your Progress: It's so easy to be deceived by your marks. Your school or university may not be giving you a high quality education or it may not be strict enough on the marking. In that case, you might feel happy over extraordinary marks in an average-standard education. This means that your marks don't really represent how good you are, but how good you are in an average-standard education.

7. Learning Outside the School: This binds up with the points on depending on sources other than your given textbooks and your teachers. Taking out time to learn outside school is not only useful, but it also helps learn extra. It allows you to discover more topics than you are taught at school. And that gives you a sense of freedom in learning.

8. Studying for the Marks, Not for Learning: This is perhaps the biggest reason why many students many never become innovative. The reason why you do something is so important. Studying for grades doesn't allow you to enjoy what you're learning. Subconsciously, you feel trapped while studying. You want to enjoy, but then your inside tells you that you need to study to get the grades. This is perhaps the biggest reason for me why I didn't enjoy my education.

9. Guiding Your Friends: When you yourself are well-learned and have studied the topics deeply, you can become a source of guidance and a tutor your friends. You can simplifying the topics that you study for them. This will allow you to develop a circle of friends, who not only love you for the grades you help them get, but they will also start learning and love you because you ease the academic concepts for them. Also, you will become a reason for training a group of talented individuals.

10. We've got so much Time to Study when we're still Students: But when we grow up, life gets so so so busy. BUT, how could we possibly know that as kids.!! And when we lose that time, we realize that we should have made the most of it and studied a lot.

11. Don't only Study what you're Taught: It may be that your educational system has some major flaws. I know my did. I had a HUGE flaw. We didn't study the entire Qur'an, the Arabic Language and the Islamic tradition in depth(Because I'm a Muslim). I now realize that if I had studied these on the sideline, I would have been better equipped on these topics than I am now. Also, I could have easily memorized that Qur'an as a youngster when the brain acts like sponge, absorbing every information. I would additionally like to study other religious books as well.

12. Lack of Motivation: I believe there should be motivational classes, or at least our teachers should teach in interesting ways that motivate us. Maybe they can give us classes on Allama Iqbal (a motivational poet) or other motivational speakers. The motivation should not die down.

13. Lack of Practical Studies: What good is learning if you don't have hands on experience to accompany it? Even if I don't get it in school, I would come home and do it myself.

To sum up, the most important point is that students should enjoy their time in school. They should keep a positive attitude and make the most of whatever they've got.

BUT, the bottom-line is: Don't Regret, Rather Rebuild, for you are still breathing. Take whatever you got. And I didn't get something less. I got A LOT. But still, use whatever you got to grow further. AND, AND, AND, the important point is NOT to stop. I have realized that learning is a life-long process. And I believe we should keep studying and learning new knowledge and skills and keep participating in physical activities such as sports throughout our life. And the best way to realize this is to think accept this entire planet earth as our school, where there are endless opportunities to learn and grow!!