Why do I still study?

Hello, Reader!

I’m currently in my second week of Angloville, which I wrote about last week! It's much more relaxed than the kids' programme and I'm really enjoying having a bit more free time, although still not very much - especially that I'm trying to socialise and make new friends too.

So yeah, I’ve been pretty busy, however, I still do my best to find a bit of time for 'personal projects'; my to-do list is still filled with STEP paper questions and Spanish grammar practice activities. This brings back the question of “Why do I still study?” which I have written about in the past on my Instagram. Before travelling, I had a part-time job which means I also had hours of free time during my day so I fit studying easily around it. Now, although I don’t have as much free time, I try to still make time to do at least a little each day to get closer to reaching my goals! “Why do you still study?” is a question I hear on a regular basis, especially from younger people who are still in compulsory education. Often, after I explain that I’m on a gap year and I’m not studying for exams, I’m met with shock at why I would ever choose to spend my precious free time - my life post-A-Levels - studying. The answer is pretty simple; I like to.

It really bothers me that so many young people don’t recognise the value of self-improvement and learning, which is a part of the reason why I am writing this post. On one hand, I absolutely get it: A Levels are straining and tedious and stressful. They definitely caused a dip in my general well being and mental health throughout Sixth Form. When we study for exams, revision feels like a chore and very little actual long-term learning happens. This is because of a variety of reasons including ineffective learning strategies, the pressure to do well or even just being tired. Throughout A-Levels, I put in a lot of effort into finding time around my revision for taking care of myself - physically and mentally. There was completely no time left for anything even close to independent studies unrelated to my A-Levels… so I’m definitely not implying that you should be pursuing all these personal projects now - that’s irrational.

Also, I definitely didn’t jump right back into studying as soon as my exams were over; so much work went into those two years and I deserved to take a long break. I did a bunch of travelling, made new friends and only occasionally I did some reading or exercises to prepare me for university. When it turned out that I won’t be attending this year - I decided that I won’t waste the year and this amazing opportunity to pursue things I haven’t had time for before. September brought me online courses, maths worksheets and lots of books and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When I hear “I would be chilling if I was you”, I can’t bring myself to imagine that you don’t have any passions, any interests, any goals beyond your schoolwork. Everyone has something that they’ve been meaning to try or learn - and it often isn’t in the conventional “studying” way. Maybe you want to take up a sport or learn how to cook or dance or paint. A gap year is your opportunity to do all of those things and more. That’s exactly what I’m doing - this is the time I needed to take up psychology or cognitive science or brush up on my Maths skills, or finally learn Spanish properly. I’m using it to better myself, to finally do the things I’ve wanted to do for ages but instead had to focus on my A-Levels.

I’m a very academic person, (as we all know) so my learning is more like studying because that’s what works for me. For most people, that’s not the case, and that’s perfectly fine, but don’t let that stop you from learning and growing as a person. You don’t have to learn from textbooks or online courses - you can learn just as much, or more, through books, articles, videos, experiences. As long as it enriches you in some way, that’s all that matters. Learning comes in so many different forms and it’s so important for your personal growth - don’t let A-Level revision deter you from education.

As kind of a side note, I just wanted to add that education is a privilege. A-Levels are brutal, but a lot of people around the world don’t have the same opportunities as we do. This doesn’t invalidate our stress and the issues within our education system but I like to think that it’s better than nothing. I’m very passionate about learning, teaching, education and I’m endlessly appreciative of the fact that I have such easy access to resources which enable me to pursue this passion. That’s what I’m spending almost all of my time doing and it makes me feel so, so fulfilled. So although you might not enjoy studying right now, remember how important it is and how many doors it opens for you.

My next post will be the last one before going to Madrid! I’m so excited I can’t even express it.

Have an amazing week! (I can’t believe we’re so far into January already.)

Love, Agnes xo