Knowing what you know now, what is one piece of advice you'd share with younger students? by Adrene

Knowing what you know now, what is one piece of advice you'd share with younger students? by Adrene - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

When faced with the question, knowing what I know now, what is one piece of advice I would share with students, I immediately think of great and knowledge responses. I would want to tell this younger generation how focusing on academics is more important than satisfying all their young impulses. I would want to ensure to them that no matter what they are going through in their lives that everything has a way of working itself out. It seems natural as an adult to want to pass on everything I have learned to the younger generation in hopes that they will make better and more educated decisions. I could possibly change the future if I could help a young adult to focus on their education and see the importance in it that I do.

In theory all of the above sounds great and reasonable, however, it’s not that realistic. Truthfully most of it would fall on deaf ears. I would feel defeated in not having passed on my great knowledge that age has brought me. I could still attempt to go down that path. I could hope that maybe I reached one or two students and made a difference. Really what credibility have I gained with these younger students other than my age being older than theirs?

Relating to the students is the easiest way to give advice that will be heard. Instead of preaching my values or giving the students my best political answers, I need to show them where I came from. I fell on my face many times before I reached some of my goals. I challenged myself in different ways and sometimes it worked and other times life had a different plan. I would share with them how my imperfections helped to make me who I am today. It’s important to realize that no matter what choices are made, for better or for worse, things can always change.

It seems many adults want to push their ideals on the younger generation in hopes that they won’t make the same mistakes. But I say some of those mistakes will help to make those students who they are meant to become who. They may even help define how they change the world. I’m not encouraging negligent or ignorant behavior, just stating that some leeway in how we judge is needed.

I have three girls of my own that I will always help to guide in the best direction possible. Sometimes I will allow them to make decisions that may not always have the most pleasant outcome. Not becuase I don't love them, becuase I want them to learn to make choices for themselves. they need to think about how those choices will effect their lives.

My final words to these students would be that life is about learning no matter how old you are or what your dreams are. As each decade passes I realize that I have learned and grown and I still have a long way to go. My mom used to always tell me that she was just the car in my life and I was the driver.