Around two weeks, or fourteen days, or three hundred and thirty six hours till school starts.

 

Oh God, why.

 

This is probably going through many students’ heads at the moment. Goodbye to shameless hours of surfing the Internet or watching TV and waking up late, and say hello to hours of learning, reading and homework.

 

I wonder, like every student does, if my teachers this school year will be strict, or if my other friends will be my classmates. I wonder if I will be able to handle the increased workload given to me and if I’ll be able to balance schoolwork and my extracurricular activities. And where will our field trip be? What club will I join?

 

Freshmen fears

 

And there are other worries, too. For incoming high-school freshmen, they must be thinking how different high school will be. New students will be aching for their old school, all the while wondering if they can fit in and make new friends.

 

Incoming college freshmen, on the other hand, must be worried about how difficult college will be. They’ll be making their own schedules and encountering terror professors. Also, this will be the first year where their friends (who have been with them for so long, some as far back as kindergarten) won’t be just around the corner.

 

They’ll be going to different schools and will probably be wondering how to keep in touch while at the same time making new friends and enjoying the college experience—without getting homesick.

 

And there are other students experiencing a different kind of worry: financial worry. This is a sad reality faced by many. Will they be able to afford another year of schooling, or is it time to start working for their families? Will they be able to study hard enough to keep their scholarships?

 

While many of us might be satisfied with just getting by, being more concerned with how long homework is going to take, other children are worrying about just how much longer they can afford to stay in school.

 

Power of education

 

I am glad that many still understand how powerful education can be in changing their lives.

 

Every year, we are faced with new challenges. But keep in mind that God gives these challenges to people who can handle them. And while I dislike that summer is melting away, I can’t help but be excited by the new activities and new people I’m going to meet this school year.

 

Because while school can sometimes be a drag, I’ve also met some of the most amazing people (and made the best memories with them) during my school days.

 

So, in reality, we don’t actually have anything to be worried about—just things to look forward to and challenges to overcome.