I have been in climes, virtual and physical, in which the name ‘student’ is frowned upon and regarded as derogatory. The prevalent idea is that students are poor, lazy liabilities who should do everything possible to change their status quickly. These narratives are horrid, but they highlight a level of ignorance that I find humorous.
You know why? The reason is that a lot of us have lost the true meaning of the word. We tend to associate it with just being stuck in the four walls of a school or classroom.
A student is not someone who is dependent on family and friends. He or she is not just someone who wears a uniform and who has to maintain an academic standing.
A student is someone who is being taught by someone who is more experienced. A student is someone who is learning or investigating something. Here is what B. B. King said about learning: ‘The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.’
Would you disagree if I made the claim, then, that we are all students? We all are; life teaches us something every minute of each passing day. Life itself is an exploration.
Furthermore, the African climate has unfortunately watered down the role and importance of students; especially in terms of relations between countries. They are global citizens who are able to affect people in different parts of the world. The time spent in school is to make connections with future stars, to garner unique experience and to be prepared for vast opportunities.
This is not a hype-me-up article. It is a charge, intended to shake you up.
Dear student, you are not helpless. The power you have is not to extort your guardians. It is not to create chaos or to be recruited into wrong groups. Your power lies in discovering your unique competence, growing it and adding value to lives. Your status as a student is not insignificant. It is super important to national and global existence.
Dear student, the days will roll by and the years will pass. You will not be in school forever and you will realise that skills can be learned. You don’t want to be left in the cold of change and uncertainty. You don’t want the heat of shattered dreams and frustration, either. Did you know that certain opportunities are time-bound while others are age-bound?
You can contribute actively to global issues. You can create a new value system. You can inspire others to do more with themselves, in accordance with their Maker’s design. You have power. Yes, you do.
‘Intellectual’ is cool. ‘Studious’ is in vogue. Success has hundreds of fans. It leaves clues, too.
Are you linked to your creator? If you are, you are unstoppable. Education is a privilege; maximise it to make your life and others’ lives better.
Cheers to greatness!
‘The man who does not read books has no advantage over the one who can not read them.’ Mark Twain
Gbemisola Oluwasina is also known as Elegant Inker. She is committed to helping (personal, business, corporate) brands accelerate their visibility, influence and profit through writing services and coaching. These (areas of) service(s) and coaching range from: creative writing, content writing, editing and proofreading, ghost writing, content strategy consultation, transcription to copy writing. She has worked with 10+ brands, authors and writers. She has had her poems and articles published in magazines, too.
Gbemisola has been told that she is blessed with a voice that enriches what she says. She enjoys speaking, and has honoured 20+ virtual speaking invitations from 2020 till date. These engagements covered topics around: writing, content creation, online business, social media positioning, public speaking, (self) leadership, the Christian faith and albinism. She looks forward to more of these, as well as to features in the media and TED(X).
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.