the concept of school

I have a love-hate relationship with school.

there were a lot of things about being a student that I enjoyed.

but I've also spent a lot of time when I was a student feeling like it was a huge waste of my time.

I think I've learned a lot from school.

but also almost nothing from all the lessons I've taken. well, nothing relevant.

there is one thing about school that really stood out to me though.

let me explain.

think about the process you take when you are in school to become good at the subject you take.

let's say for example – math.

the first time you learn about algebra, or plotting a graph, it probably felt weird and foreign to you.

there was probably a time where you felt like it was too difficult and that you were never going to get it.

and if you were given a chance to take a peep at the math textbook 3 grades above you, you'd probably have felt like you would never be able to get it in this lifetime and gave up on the subject.

except that you weren't allowed to give up. 

what happened was that you got better and better at math. and by the time you got to grade 12, grade 9 math seemed like the easiest thing in the world.

now "math" in this case is just an example. replace math with anything else that you are studying. medicine. law. engineering. coding. marketing. whatever. and you would see that the same concept applies.

if you are a first-year business student, it would probably take you a bit of time to get used to all the different terms that exist out there and know exactly what they mean.

by the time you get to third year, all of that will be second nature to you and your focus will be far beyond trying to understand what the different terms mean.

what I'm saying is that it takes time to be good at something. and school is the perfect environment for it.

the interesting thing I've learned is that this school "concept" doesn't have to exist only when you are in school.

you can reapply this to real life, and to something that you want to learn and get better at. and it will play out the same.

for example, you want to learn how to code. but you try it for a month and you still don't get it and you just give it up completely.

but if you don't allow yourself the option to give up, and keep going at it for another month, and another, and then you will reach 1 year, 2 years... after that your skills will be tremendously different.

it's not exactly school that makes you become good at doing something.

it's the environment that gives you no choice but to keep putting the time in. and because you put in the time, you become better at it. 

you are the reason why you are good at doing something. the concept of school is the catalyst. and school is literally just the venue you go to and sit down to do it.

I'm writing this because I feel like there is so much power we have within ourselves to do things for ourselves. there are plenty of things that I've gotten better at over the years and when I really look at it, it was mainly just because I put in the time.

I hear a lot from people who try something for 2 weeks and then they complain about how they are never going to get it and then they give up.

imagine if you go to school for 2 weeks and then try to take the final exam and fail and decide that you are too untalented for school.

you don't think that way because you know that you can only attempt the final exam after you complete a whole year in school.

the same goes for when you want to become good at something. you gotta put in the time. and you need to allow yourself time for that to happen before you judge yourself.

the concept of school is the biggest lesson I've learned from school.

there are some people who have to force themselves to go to school to be able to learn something. I believe that you can do it on your own if you want it enough. I think it all comes down to discipline.