For most high school students around the world, going to school is a chore.Studyafterstudyshows that students have an extremely negative view of school, describing it as a tiring, stressful, and boring environment. To cope with this, each student has their own strategy, ranging from disengagement and misbehavior to focusing solely on getting good grades.

It is essential that students recognize that “education” and “schooling” are two very different things. Schooling is the institutionalization of our education, but it is far from being the only place where we learn and educate ourselves. In the words of professor and philosopherJohn Dewey, “Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.”

This means that, even though students may be stuck in a school they don’t like, their education still belongs to them. While it is essential for educational systems to change, students around the world should not wait for that change to happen before taking responsibility for their own learning and education. As the writer Mark Twain would say, we must not let our schooling get in the way of our education.

In this article, the team atYouthxYouth—a global community of young activists and adults dedicated to reimagining and transforming education for collective liberation—wants to share with you 8 practical ways for students to reclaim and transform their learning and education. 

We hope you'll share these recommendations with the students you know!

• Recognize that your educational system was not designed to serve you—The primary function of educational systems is to supply the economy with the next generation of workers, NOT to serve people or the planet. Once you realize this, it becomes easier…
• Reject the narrow view that your school imposes on you –Through school, we are taught to compete relentlessly with one another to be “successful” rather than to care about our own well-being, the well-being of others, or the well-being of our planet. Instead of unconsciously going along with what school wants you to be, you can…
• Think about what you’d like to see as the goals of your education—What does education mean to you? What would you like your learning and education to help you achieve? Who would you like to become, and how will your learning help you get there? Once you know WHY you want to learn, it’s time to…
• Define your own questions to focus on what you’d like to learn—Aquestion about learning frames your goals, challenges, or curiosities as a space for active exploration and meaningful inquiry. It’s more about sparking a learning process than finding an answer. To actively engage in this learning process, you need to…
• Cultivate your love of learning and your ability to learn and concentrate—Often, when we’re forced to learn in school, we unconsciously start to think that learning is annoying, challenging, or boring. To become a lifelong learner, you need to cultivate your love of learning, especially by paying attention to what brings you joy. What do you “naturally” love to learn? Being an effective learner is also something we learn! So learn how to learn and…
• Recognize that you can learn from every experience you go through—Byadopting a learner’s mindset, you begin to see everything around you as an opportunity to learn. You start asking your own questions and quickly connect the answers to your own experiences. You can multiply your opportunities for meaningful learning when…
• Join or create supportive learning communities –We learn best when we learn from and alongside people who share our values. For example, at YouthxYouth, we create intergenerational peer-learning communities so that young people can explore their personal learning questions in a supportive environment. Together, we can…
• Advocate for change in your school and the educational system –The changes we want to see in our schools won’t happen unless students take the initiative to bring about the change they want to see.

What do these 8 steps look like in practice?

Hear directly from Estefanía, an 18-year-old Colombian student and youth education activist, who shares her story of getting back on track with her own education while she was still in school:

I never quite understood the difference between being a number and being a student—we demand perfection from both. Perfect grades, a perfect attitude, and a perfect image to the world. After recognizing what my school demanded of me, I realized that I either had to give up my humanity or disappoint everyone around me. I choose neither; I forge my own path—even my own reality. In class, I feel ready to open my mind to a world full of possibilities, from the sciences to the humanities. I was told never to give my opinion, so I observe and look for questions. The “why” has become my friend as I seek to satisfy my curiosity by pondering the most difficult questions. I ponder and question not to get an answer, but to learn from my experiences—including my failures—because I am convinced that I can improve even through failure.

I was once asked to describe my perfect school, and the only thing I could say was that there isn’t one. There isn’t a perfect school for me, but I’m a learner and I love to learn. So, how do I seek to grow as a student, and how do I want my education to support my personal growth? This doesn’t necessarily have to come from a school, because knowledge doesn’t have to come from a classroom. From books to mentors from whom we’re always learning, life is the best teacher of all. Knowledge is the key to everything, and change comes from letting young people appreciate every lesson, both inside and outside the classroom.

How will YOU and your students advocate for and transform education?Shareyour storywith us on Instagramand contactcommunity@youthxyouth.comto connect, learn, and unlearn with our global community of young and adult activists.