School is done...

Hey there,

School is finally over. I can finally say that I did it. I finished school.

So, here’s some math for You. In my time I have gone to 5 schools, been in 7 different class groups, had 12 different class teachers, tried pretty much every extra curriculum that You can try in school including the newspaper. Been the president of the student council, gotten into a fight with a classmate, pissed off a teacher, a lot of teachers actually because they knew I knew the school rules better than the principle probably. Pissed off a lot of classmates just because I existed, gotten a 1 in a test, gotten a 3, gotten a 10, a lot of 10’s actually. Been on top of the class. Been at the bottom of the class, changed schools at the very last summer day twice, made at least 2 of my class teachers cry because I spoke my mind. Been underestimated, been overestimated, been yelled at and been loved, been the teacher’s pet and the teachers worst enemy, been the favorite, been the least favorite person in the room. Found a few talents, realized I will probably never be a painter, slept in class, been wide awake, talked, cried, screamed, laughed in class, cheated on tests, listened to the teacher, eaten tangerines in class, skipped class, been late, been too early, asked for homework. Been at the principal’s office, been to the psychologist’s office. Wanted to drop out, wanted to punch someone, played the piano in class, sang in class when it was completely out of place, made some friends, made some enemies.

The list goes on and on… and on… I can’t write down everything that has happened in my years of school but what I can tell You is that I’m glad that it is done. Don’t get me wrong, I will miss getting sweet buns or pizza in the breaks for lunch, but I haven’t been doing that for the past 2 years because I went to online school.

So, what schools did I go to?

I went to 5. Was kind of running around. Spent my first grade in a country side school, then moved to a professional music school in the capital of Latvia. Then after 4 years went back to the country side school for another 3 years. Then went to a sports gymnasium. After a year of being there went to an online school. Then after a year there back to the city we go. Went to another gymnasium in the capital. And then after a year there, back to the online school.

Yes, you counted right, that is definetely more than 12 years. 13 actually, I went to the 1t grade twice because I wanted to play the piano at the time so I had to do the first grade again in the music school because my level of piano skills wasn’t advanced enough back then.

Okay…enough is enough. What have I learned?

Math taught me I don’t know how to count. Latvian taught me I don’t know my own language. Music taught me; I can’t sing. Sports taught me I’m hopeless at basketball. Literature taught me I don’t know how to read. Geography taught me I don’t know where I live. Biology taught me: I can’t tell the difference between a tree and a flower.

No, that’s all a bit true, but on a more serious note, I learned how to stand up for myself. How to study and throw back information at people. I learned how to manage my time and find time for everything. School taught me that the stories we read are just that, stories.

We have our own lives to live. There is no “right” way to do it. There is no Pythagoras theorem for life. There is no one way. There are a million ways.

In school we get taught to work by ourselves. Never ask for help because that is considered cheating. Don’t work in groups. Don’t do this and that. Just hand in the paper on time, write what the teachers want you to think and You will be fine.

Well, I say, screw that! Live Your life. Say what You think. Take up space. Stand up for yourself. Hand in that paper with Your blunt and honest thoughts. Stand up to that teacher, classmate, person or even the principle. We all have only one life. We cannot live it trying to please everyone. Take a gap year! Take 2. Take the rest of Your life if that’s what works for You. Just don’t settle. Don’t bow down to the system that wants you to sit silent and only think what they want you to think.

Be strong! Take up space and speak Your mind.

That is what school taught me.

What did You learn…?