Your Local Guardian:

Education is such a vital part of our lives, we grow up learning and we continue to learn for an entire lifetime. If it isn’t learning to talk or walk it’s learning to add and subtract before propelling up to the analysis of novels and poems. I, as a student, have found that there are four major stages in the development of my life in education.

The first major development is entering primary school for the first time, the fear of a scary environment is often overshadowed by the beauty of making new friends and actually learning new and interesting prospects. I believe primary school encourages social growth, it enables its young and old children to learn appropriate social behaviour, including how to treat one another which in life is deemed very important.

Furthermore the transition to secondary school is a vital one, as many of you know the workload begins to increase instantaneously and before you know it you are bombarded with a series of homework pieces every night. You are faced with new, challenging but initiative ways of learning and it

“I think the work is much harder than it was before but I’ve made a lot of new friends, that’s great but I’ve just spent the last two hours on a piece of homework and it’s so hard, I don’t like it!” – Maria, Year 7, St Paul’s Catholic School.

I have recently taken the third major step in my education and joined the Sixth Form of St Mark’s Catholic School where I have found the resources to not only be a lot more useful but that the independent one to one help the teacher’s offer is a lot more valuable than the years before as there is a much heavier workforce. I, like many others, have retained my friends from the previous educational stages of my life but I have also embarked on many a new friendship.

“The workload has increased significantly and I can’t keep on top of it all. I think Media is my favourite lesson, it’s sick, it’s so good!” – Rene, Year 12, Twickenham Academy.

The final stage in education, I believe, is university and this is when everything amplifies by a thousand. Although I do not first-hand experience I have experienced university life through my brother. University is a chance for young adults to embark on their lives, to try out new things but also to study a subject they are truly dedicated to, a subject that interests them.

“It’s harder, like a lot harder. I think the hardest part is living away from home and having so many deadlines to meet.” Matt, Student, Bristol University

So, if you’re finding the transitions of education a struggle or you know someone who is, don’t you worry; it’s natural. We all do it, I know I did.

David Shaaya – St Mark’s Catholic School