Surprise! School's Your Secret Personal Development Gym
I wonder how you feel about this idea: school is your personal growth playground. I know, it might not feel like it when you're drowning in assignments or dealing with drama, but hear me out.
School is like a simulator for adult life but with safety nets. It's where you can fall, get back up, and learn life skills. Here’s what I mean.
School's secretly leveling you up because you get to practice dealing with 7 important life skills:
- Resilience: The Art of Bouncing Back
Remember that time you bombed a test or forgot about a project? It was stressful. And, you survived. That's resilience. Each time you face a setback and keep going, you're building your bounce-back muscles. Trust me, this skill will help you create your ideal life.
Pro tip: Next time something goes wrong, take a deep breath and ask yourself, "What can I learn from this?"
- Doing the Un-fun Stuff: Adulting 101
I hear from students all the time that some classes are about as exciting as watching paint dry. Ugh. But, learning to do things you don't love is a superpower. In the future, you'll have to do taxes, sit through boring meetings, or maybe change diapers. School's teaching you how to push through the blah to get to the good stuff.
Here’s your challenge: When you are sitting through a boring lesson in class, try to find one interesting thing about the topic. Who knows? You might surprise yourself!
- Deadline Domination
Due dates. Not fun. Always present. In school and adult life. Let your school deadlines be your personal trainers for time management. Learning to meet deadlines now means you'll crush it later in college or at work.
Hack: Use a planner and calendar. Also, break big projects into smaller chunks. It's like eating a pizza - one slice at a time.
- Speaking Up: The Art of Self-Advocacy
Raising your hand in class, asking for help, or even taking a stand against something unjust - these are all forms of self-advocacy. Having the confidence and determination to communicate your needs is a skill many adults struggle with. Every time you speak up for yourself in school or ask for help, you're practicing for life.
Baby steps: If speaking up feels scary, start small. Maybe email a question to your teacher or ask a classmate for help. After working with students for a decade, I can guarantee that it gets easier the more you do it.
- Juggling Act: Balancing Priorities Like a Pro
Homework, friends, family, social media, sleep (yes, that's important too!) - sometimes it feels like you're in a circus, doesn't it? Welcome to the grand balancing act of life, my friend. School is your training ground for juggling competing priorities.
Reality check: You can't do it all, and that's okay. Learning to prioritize is the real skill here. Always check in with yourself by asking, “What's most important right now? What can wait?” These are questions adults grapple with daily.
- The Big Picture: Long-Term Planning
Big, multi-step projects or research papers can feel daunting. But they're a great training ground for learning to think long-term. Have a project due in three weeks? Or, a group presentation to work on in segments? Those are training you to plan ahead.
Imagine yourself in 5 years. What do you want to achieve? Now, what can you do today to move towards that goal? (We’ll dive into goal setting later in this series.)
- Team Player Skills
Group projects - love 'em or hate 'em, they're preparing you for real-world teamwork. Learning to work with different personalities and being accountable to others are skills that will serve you well in any future career. Knowing how to work with people you don’t like or who have a different worldview is a particularly important skill to master.
Challenge: In your next group project, try taking on a role you usually avoid. Or, challenge yourself to find one thing you have in common with the person who is most unlike you. Does that feel like a stretch? (I hope so 😉)
Bottom line: School isn't just about grades or memorizing facts. It's your personal development playground, where you can experiment, fail safely, and grow. Dig in!
Do it when you don’t want to. Push to meet your deadlines. Ask for help, even if you feel uncomfortable. These are all growing tasks that will serve you well.
In school, you're not just learning information. You're leveling up in many ways. And trust me, future you will be so grateful for these skills.
