In the past two years, the beginning of the school year has been abnormal. Since classes were closed in many schools around the country, the excitement that students often feel before the first day of school was absent.
Unlike the days before the COVID-19 pandemic, they won’t be able to play with their friends, meet their teachers in person, or find out who they’ll sit next to in class.
They turned on their electronic devices – if they were lucky enough to have them – to receive instructions via chat or, in the most fortunate cases, to practice in a virtual room.
This year is different: with the general resumption of face-to-face classes, anticipation and enthusiasm are returning.
In almost all schools, classes are filled with students, and in the yards during breaks there is a noisy and festive atmosphere.
Without forgetting those who have lost touch with school, and without losing sight of the enormous learning challenges that lie ahead, I feel like going back to school is worth celebrating.
For adults, the start of the school year can also serve as a reminder of how exciting it is to start learning something new.
As adults, with all our worries, we often cling to the routine and forget the excitement that is so characteristic of the first day at school.
However, learning never ends, and so it is worth asking ourselves if there is something new that we would like or need to learn.
There are many reasons to take the risk to learn something new. There will be those who will find a new source of pleasure, satisfaction or pride.
Some skills and abilities are useful for increasing productivity at work or may even lead to starting your own business. Group activities allow you to get to know people, which can lead to new friendships.
People may also discover a talent within themselves or simply experience significant personal growth.
This reflection led me a few years ago to enroll in a German language course in order to resume learning the language I started learning as a child at school.
Each lesson takes me back to my student years at the German School, and it turned out that the opportunity to express myself in the German language was even more exciting than I remembered.
In this first week of school, let’s remember that it’s never too late to start learning.
ANTONIO ARGUELLES
@MEXICAN_ACTIVE