Go Captains!

I'm finally in college! I've officially moved in and settled down in my new home at Christopher Newport University. I've been looking forward to this all summer. Everyone's been asking me what I'm most excited about and people usually expect things like "I'm finally free from home!" or "Party all the time!" or just being independent. But I'm actually most excited about starting my classes and getting work done.

Lame, I know. But I wasn't always like this! I was actually not a fan of school at all until a few months ago.
India really changed my perspective on education and how I personally feel about school. I was never the studious one so the nerdy Indian stereotype does not fit me at all (and I learned that it doesn't fit most Indians either!). At my preschool "graduation", there was an assembly where my teacher asked, "What's your favorite part of the school day?" in front of everyone and I replied, "Dismissal." I was four years-old then but my answer would not have changed even if you asked me at eighteen years-old. I was unimpressed with school and definitely took my education for granted.

However after teaching in India, I actually learned how to enjoy learning from my students. In my first 4 months, I worked with Sikshana - a non-profit organization that assists public schools both financially and physically. Unlike schools in the US, India's public education is not free and therefore the lower classes don't always have the money to send their children to school. In fact, a majority of the population send their kids to private schools because the quality of education is better. Sikshana provides free education and mentors for all their schools who help students with literacy and comprehension in both English and Kannada (the local language). 

I worked as a mentor in three different schools and met children with enormous ambitions. I was initially overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and their eagerness to impress me. They never took anything for granted. I used to give stickers to kids who got all the answers correct and for 3 months, the stickers never got old even though they were the same stickers every time. My students constantly asked questions about my life and never let the language barrier stop them from being curious. They made realize the value in education that I'd always seemed so nonchalant about. I wanted to feel that same kind of passion towards my own education. It's all about the perspective. These kids have taught me to enjoy it rather than endure it and making it a chore. Learning can be fun and interesting so long as you keep an open mind and keep challenging yourself. 

As I start my year in college, I'm remembering my kiddies and how passionate they were about everything - never just settling for a halfhearted answer or an "I don't know" - and hoping to have the same passion in my classes. That said, this doesn't mean I'm never going to complain about my classes (I actually complain a lot about my workload... it's a stress reliever!). Or fall in love with every one of my classes - it really depends on the teacher. But thankfully, I'm taking classes I enjoy and so far the people here at CNU have been awesome. I'm excited to be a student again!