G’day my friends and welcome to another blog! Can I just start off by saying I am so sorry for not posting last week! I was feeling gastly after my second….. Treatment shall we say for the…… current world crisis.. It knocked me for 6 and I am still not 100% . I would say I am about 90% there. Hopefully by early next week I will be back to my bogan Aussie self.
Anyway I was trying to figure out what to write for this week. And I realised that for America and other parts of the world, School started back this week! It is a weird concept for us Aussies purely because our School year starts at the end of January and goes through until November/December depending on what school you go to. Where as America is completely different!
So I thought I would write a little something about what I wish I knew in school, and why school really was the best thing despite the bullying. So let’s get cracking shall we!!!
There are 12-13 years of school….
I told my little cousin this when she started school. She was so excited to be in school and said she was loving it. I told her ‘that is great…. But let me tell you something I wish I knew a long time ago… This will be your life for 12 or 13 years. And what is worse than that is that it gets harder each year’. Let’s just say I wasn’t the favourite cousin after that conversation!
But it is true! This is probably the biggest thing I wish I was told instead of being lulled into a false sense of security! It doesn’t end!
And if you think it is over…. Think again and add another 3-8 years depending on if you want to go and do tertiary education! Like me… I must be a glutton for pain and committed myself to 3 years of a Law degree which turned into 4 and a half… Plus another 12-18 months for Honours…… Yeah good job me..
There will always be bullies…. But what you do with their behaviour is up to you.
No one tells you to watch out for the big kids in the playground, or to ignore the ‘ meanies’.
Every kid likes to pick on the ‘weak link’ or the ‘weird one’. Whether it be because they are nerds, ‘wannabe athletes’, the teachers pet or even Disabled, there will always be something the rascals pick on.
As I am sure many of you know, I was the prime target for being bullied. A funny penguin walk, permanently bent arms that made me look even more like a penguin, a scooter than I ran over people with, and an overbite that would give Bugs Bunny a run for his money, and I was the perfect candidate for bullies.
Like most, it really broke me. I was called every name under the sun, mocked, kicked, grabbed by my shirt and belittled by a teacher. However, it wasn’t until I got to around grade 11 that it all started to click. I realised I had two options; either let it truly break me and let it turn me into a Class A Grinch, or use it for my benefit and use it as motivation.
I soon realised that they had an issue with themselves, and it wasn’t my fault. So I took option B! I used to it fuel my career choice at the time, and led me to start public speaking about bullies and gave me a foundation to base this blog off! I mean I certainly used it for my benefit!
It is ok to ask for help!
My second last one is short but simple. If you need it, ask for help! Whether that be with school work, the pesky bullies, tutoring, the school musical, or even begging the teachers to sit you out of the dreaded Cross-Country run. Nothing is worse than suffering in silence. A teacher in primary school knocked my confidence to ask for help so much I failed a semester of year 9 science, and would not put my hand up for help until year 11 without working up a sweat! So please don’t be like me! It is ok to ask for help!
Enjoy the ride!
School is one hell of a journey. 12/13 years of super highs and super lows. The grind is continuous. However, the one thing someone told me before I started year 12 was ‘enjoy the ride it is over before you know it’. That so applies to school in general. Make mistakes, laugh, cry, yell, smile, run over people’s feet with a scooter…… yeah don’t do that part..
But you get what I am saying. You can use every experience in school to your benefit if you choose. You would be surprised by how many CEO’s and influencers have got where they are today because of the difficulties of school. Remember school is only one chapter; it doesn’t define who you are. It is only one piece of the puzzle to a masterpiece. How you use it though it up to you. How will you use it?
– Rhi xo.
After a bit more nostalgia? or want more tips on school? Check out my other blog post here: https://livingabled.com.au/school-the-good-and-the-just-plain-awkward/
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