The beginning of the school year can seem daunting. Now that August is coming to a close it means it’s time to return to tests, projects, and lots of stress. Personally, I would way rather play with my friends than attend a night class. Crazy, right? As I was looking up my class schedule I decided to reward myself with a break after five minutes of work, so I went on Twitter. Great time management on my part. I scrolled through my news feed and aside from seeing some bad puns, almost every post was about the impending doom of school. The more I read, the less excited I became about school. Instead of thinking about how exciting new classes are, I began to remember the stress of finals and the negative aspects of school. Then I thought about why I attend school in the first place.

I’m currently in college so school is no longer mandatory. If I don’t want to attend class, I don’t have to. Simple as that. So why do it? Some days, especially around midterm time, I question if class is even worth my time, so I skip. (But if my parents are reading this, then I have perfect attendance and go to bed by 8 PM every night. Love you, Mom). I get in the mindset that going to class is a hassle instead of an amazing opportunity. I tell myself that I can spend my time doing so many other worthwhile things like read for fun or visit a friend, even though I end up watching Netflix or procrastinating in some way. Procrastinating is easy when you view school as a burden instead of a gift.

So let’s change the way we look at school. School shouldn’t be something we do out of duty or because someone is forcing us to go. Receiving an education opens so many doors for us. We are able to delve deeper into subjects we actually enjoy and want to pursue in the future. We learn new ways of thinking and are challenged to consider issues from a new viewpoint.

One of my favorite quotes about education comes from the poet William Butler Yeats. Wise man that he is, Yeats said that, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Education is not about cramming facts in our mind only to forget them as soon as the test is over. If you go to class only to memorize, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Sure, sometimes we have to memorize facts and dates, but it’s for a purpose. It gives us context and helps us understand things that we thought were far beyond our reach.

School is only a chore if we make it one. Let’s stop allowing minor inconveniences like waking up early or writing a paper get in the way of our quest to learn. Instead, let’s get excited about all that we’re going to learn this school year and think about finally being able to use our new school supplies. A new school year means new classes, new friends, and hopefully- a new perspective. So pick out your first day of school outfit, set up your backpack, and watch some Kid President videos because ready or not, here comes school.