A lesson to all school pupils from Brins



This day is the second last of the Easter holiday for me, so perhaps once the new term begins there will be more for me to say as regards my schooling and any events that happen. I may as well mention also that the exams are coming up soon, though more details might be put up about that as it crops up.

Just in case my visitor count should shift into plurals, I'd like to give some advice to all school pupils, primary or secondary:

I have learned over my years that one of the things teachers like to do is 'scare' or 'shock' their pupils into working harder and doing well in the exams. While this approach is probably quite effective, it is still rather mean, as I have observed much hypocrisy and lying from these teachers in my student career amidst the 'shock therapy', which I don't believe is very fair. This information could save you a few nasty shocks in assemblies and start-of-terms at many points in your schooling career:

1) The earliest point at which teachers began the 'shock therapy' on me and my class was in Primary 7, when they began to warn us about how incompetent we all were, and that if we didn't shape up we wouldn't cut it in high school. If your teacher(s) says this, it's a lie. High school may seem daunting at first, but very soon you'll realise it is little more than a continuation of Primary, and you'll adapt perfectly well.
This 'shocker' is apparently designed to make the less studious or hard-working pupils shape up. I wasn't one of them, but the way they put it across made it seem like everyone was being referred to. Basically, if you do your work and put thought into it, you're okay.

2) The second major point at which teachers did a 'shocker' was in second year when we had to make our course choices for standard grade. They told us 'this is the most important event in your school life: choosing which courses to take in Standard Grade is a choice which will affect you for the rest of your days'. There is actually considerable truth to this one, but still, don't be caught off guard because they can really scare you with this one. Choosing your subjects is not as scary or difficult as they make it out to be at all (This applies to Scottish schools, though possibly to others as well). A 'column system' is used, and you are actually extremely limited in choices, as subjects are categorised into columns which they fit into. You must take English and Maths - there is no choice in that - but all other subjects are grouped to be quite similar. Languages are in the same column, for example, as are sciences and world-related subjects (like history and geography). The worst mistake you could make would be to choose a subject (voluntarily) that you really hate, and you find no use for, or worse: one which you are very good at, but cannot stand). Think about the subjects you are doing right now, and decide on the ones which you like best and do best in. Reach a balance between the two, and don't let anything else get in the way. You don't want to spend two years studying a subject you don't like!

3) Next comes one of the worst 'shockers': the 'do well or die' one, as I like to call it. From the beginning of Standard Grade to perhaps the end of your schooling career, teachers will NEVER stop reminding you of how 'if you fail your exams and don't study, you will fail in life, never get a job, and be unhappy'. The most important advice: do not succumb to this. It is very hard to hear teachers prattle on about how if you don't do well you're worthless, I know, but do not let it get to you. In my opinion, there is too much emphasis on doing well at school, because the teachers scare many people into thinking they aren't doing well enough and perhaps even failing their exams out of anxiety! By all means, I don't mean do not revise or study, because you should, but just remember that there is more to life than grades and exams. Just try hard and do as well as you feel like you can, because that's all we can do.

I think I've covered the main 'shockers' here, but I have one last message for you: 'All things must pass'. No matter how difficult, horrible, disturbing or depressing something is, it can't last forever. Sooner or later, it will end. This is, perhaps, the best advice there is to be given, and the most important lesson in life of all. Learn this, and don't let those teachers get you down, because if you do, your life will be so much easier. So there you go.

Good luck  ¶ 2:53 pm