In school, we get our first taste of what the world is like outside of our parents’ homes. It’s where we gain a certain level of independence.
We learn discipline from our teachers, friendship from our friends, teamwork through our group projects.
For students, the classroom becomes their world. Here, they meet lifelong friends and high school sweethearts. They discover their chosen sports and explore interests through organizations, the school council, and clubs.
It’s our first step to gaining knowledge we can take with us wherever we choose to go in life. But I didn’t learn everything I needed to know there. It may have been fun and educational, but now that I’m in my 30s, I realized school didn’t teach me things that are crucial to living a fulfilled, meaningful life once I step out of it.
Here are seven things I never learned in school.
A photo of a photo. Taken during one of our 'simulation' activities (where we pretend to be Human Resources practitioners in the office) at the university. Photo by the author.
1. Reading books that are not school books
I studied at a private Catholic school. Almost every subject required its own book. For our family, books were not necessities unless required in school.
In school, I learned that whatever they require is what you should buy, read and use for homework. There were no other books we were required to read, and we weren’t encouraged to read during our free time. What’s important was to pass tests and get high grades. We did have our library, but it was only a place to hang out because of the cold temperature (I’m based in the Philippines, a tropical country). I’m lucky that I got into reading young adult fiction books which kick-started my love of books.
Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. -Harry Truman
Parents must instill a love of reading in their children and not rely on teachers to initiate this. While school books and textbooks are necessary for education, there is so much to learn outside of them.
If financial capacity is limited, it’s worth looking at used books. E-books and audiobooks are now available as well.
Whatever medium is effective and enjoyable for the parents and children, what we need to develop is the desire to want to learn.