Where is School?

By Ru Yi

Where is school? In a classroom? At home? The answers are yes, but also, no. It is not just limited to those two places. The world really is our classroom because we can learn lessons from nature, the people around us, or the situations we experience. Learning is definitely not limited to a classroom.

Take my life-changing decision for instance. All my life, I have never ever been to school. All day, almost everyday, I would self study at home, or my mother would teach me. However, one day I sensed a time for change. My mother began scouting around for a school which would help me prepare for my major exams in the future. I had also begun to slack off a little at home, and felt that a school might help to discipline me a little. 

So that is what we did. I enrolled in a real school, which is better known as a learning centre, and this caused a wave of emotions: the sadness of not being able to meet up with my homeschooled friends as often, coupled with the excitement of meeting new people. Anxiety about fitting in and finding friends came along with the anticipation of something new. 

As I stepped into my class for the first time, my heart thumped so wildly, that I could barely talk. However, I soon realised that I had nothing to worry about. The people were friendly, and the interesting lessons made studying enjoyable. This was the biggest change in my life, and it has taught me valuable lessons.

In life, we have countless seasons. I am not talking about the four weather seasons that many countries have, but about the phases in life we go through. From moving houses to growing up, everything has its specific time. Many people fear change because they have to step out of their comfort zone which, honestly, nobody likes to do. But sometimes, we just have to do it. We could discover new things we never thought we would like or change for the better. Of course, change can be bad too, but we can always learn from our mistakes. 

Often times, people also find it hard to let go because they are so used to having something around that it does not feel natural without it, and thus, they dislike it. But if its time is up, we just have to release it. The future holds many more exciting things which we might never discover if we do not let go and move on.

It took me a while to fit in at school and feel like I belonged, but eventually, I did. Not everything can come easily and comfortably, but we must never give up. Everything is part of the Master’s plan, and we only need to trust and obey Him.

Thus, school is all around us, anytime, anywhere, and anyhow. Never constrain yourself to learn in a classroom only, and embrace change.