Caught in An Endless Loop

In today's world, students of America are stuck in a horrendous cycle of waking up, going to school, then participating in some pointless after school activity just so they can put it on a resume for colleges. School should be a relaxing sanctuary for students to be their most authentic selves and comfortable. Some schools offer an option of online classes, which leads me to strongly believe that this should be an option everywhere. There are several different learning types, which makes it hard to please everyone, and there are so many mental disabilities that prevent students from having an easy time learning. Our school system is jaded and if we ever want to move forward in society, just like with everything else, the school system needs to be rethought out.

Imagine sitting in a crowded, noisy, dim, depressing classroom. Now imagine trying to take notes from a visual perspective when a person might be an aural learner. This is my reality at school. I am forced to learn in a visual way when my preferred way is through listening; however, this is only somewhat true. Everyone has their own way of learning, yes, but some people can learn in multiple ways. I am actually a mix of aural and visual learning; furthermore, some days I can learn best one way and other days it's the latter. Sometimes, it depends on the class and teacher. I need a visual in a Math, Science or Econ class, not necessarily for a History or English class. Some people are a tactile, hands on, learners. The word comes from a Latin word, tactus, meaning to touch. They are great in a science lab or working out math problems, or any hands on activities. With all of these learning habits, it's no wonder that some classes are harder than others. If aural or visual learners had the opportunity to take online classes, they might find that it is easier. Tactile learners might not have the easiest time with online classes, but if they learned on their own, hands on, they would have the best time.

Mental illnesses are not a joke anymore. They were never a joke; however, for the longest time, they were a taboo or simple not talked about enough. With the rise of Generation Z, which I am a part of, they are bringing more attention to mental illnesses, and schools have started taking precautions. Thankfully I do not have a mental illness, but I have friends who have shared their experiences with me. One of my friends, Generic_Name, has extreme anxiety, and so does another one of my best friends, Generic_Name. They both find that school causes way more stress for them because of having anxiety.

It's possible for them in school to have significant anxiety attacks when specific experiences trigger their anxiety. Generic_Name gets anxiety when having to make a conversation with a stranger in an unfamiliar situation. I've often had to calm her down, or at least be with her. Generic_Name's anxiety stems from the same kind of thing, but her's is more of the pressures of school in addition to interactions. To help Generic_Name, I try to take her mind off of the troubled thing to help her feel better. If Generic_Name and Generic_Name had the option to do online schooling, it would take them away from triggering their anxiety. Another friend, Generic_Name, gets anxiety from a keyboard clicking. She has trouble doing these very SOL writing tests. School should not be a pain chamber; instead, students should get the attention of care that they need.

I haven't talked about the other side of the story. If classmates are getting uncomfortable at school, then why have the schools not changed their policies. There are political stances that I could take for this, but that's not why I'm here; I'm going to give the social stance. The first point that people argue that this is the way that schools have always been. This is just the most ridiculous argument, because since when has keeping the same policies effective. Our society and community is constantly fluctuating with new waves of people and ideas. If that is changing, the school system should change with it. The more common argument that I hear is that students will not get any interacting with other classmates, therefore making them anti-social. While, students would not be in a classroom with others, this is still not a persuasive point. The schools would still offer their after class activities where people would get to socialize, and people also have other passions and activities outside of school. It almost feels like the schools are brainwashing us to believe that school is our entire childhood. It is not, and people need to start breaking this mold.

Everyone I talk to says that their voice is not big enough to make a difference in this world. They say that there's nothing that they can do, and they're just going to give up. This is not the way to live life. I know that our lives are short, but I am going to do whatever I can to make a mark on planet Earth. The question is what can everyone else do. The answer is everything matters. In order to break social norms, people need to talk, and when people start talking, sharing ideas, and carrying through their ideas, it's truly amazing what can come from it. I am not here to make anything happen overnight, but I want change and I will get change. Until then, I'll be getting up at seven-forty each morning, going to school, and going clubs and activities that will not help me in my future.