Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. Albert Einstein. The list goes on – successful people who went on to pursue incredible achievements without a degree. Young adolescents in Ireland need to start to open their eyes and understand that school does not make who you are. I believe sometimes people are blinded by results and academic achievements instead of work done outside these facilities. Yes, I believe we should reward and recognise those who strive academically but also acknowledge those who make the world a better place for us.
I think we grow up with this theory that because you aren’t as school smart as fellow peers, you aren’t on the same standard or level as them. I believe schools don’t emphasize the normality of being different. As far as I’m concerned, I can see students hiding who they really are with a fear of being judged. They yearn to become the same person as a friend because they worry what people will think of them. This may influence them to follow a path to a career they may have little interest for and end up dropping out. The dropout rate of first year college/university students in Ireland last year reached 9%, says the HEA. Imagine how much lower this would be by influencing young adolescents about the beauty of being unique. As a 6th year student, I have been swarmed by comments every day, listening to nearby conversations of “I need to get max points in order to have options” or “If I do this, what will people think?”. These statements blind people to the real reality of the workplace and nature of uniqueness. Young, insecure adolescents make comforting choices in life and fail to realize the specialness of being distinctive and different. We grow up in a world with this false understanding that we must be like everyone else, but let me tell you, the biggest challenge in life is to be yourself.
Yes, Ireland is expanding and becoming multicultural. In recent years it has been a lot more welcoming to new cultures. But we cannot hide the truth of judgment in this country. For any choice a person decides to make, they should not have to go through the idea of being comfortable with something to please someone. Look around, everyone has talents. We were made as human beings to be different, not to follow crowds! Can you imagine how faster growing our country would be if we normalized being different.
I believe peers can really influence someone’s future and at times shadow their inspirations. In order to change this, young adolescents need to have that trait of open-mindness. Teachers and management strongly need to implement this in order to see a change. Who knows? You might find a hidden gem in a teenager, inspiring others to do the same.
I’m not asking for changes in the school system, I want to create awareness for people who wouldn’t have the confidence to do so. I grew up wanting to be like everyone else. I remember times I would be influenced by others choices even though they may have not been the logical ones. It was because I wanted to fit in and did not want to be looked at differently. I remember times I would lie to friends or even family about a test result to please them. Thinking back to those times, even quite recently, I feel I just wanted to be appreciated as much as some people were. Maturing in life is understanding not everyone is going to be fond of you nor is everyone your enemy. I believe we all have special qualities which we hide based on reactions we assume we will get. That is where good friends come in. They can help you make positive choices in life where they want to see you happy and benefiting. Sometimes, they can be the reason we succeed in life.
To all the young people out there, I ask you to reflect on yourself and ask yourself: am I influenced by someone else or by myself, because I can guarantee there are people out there who have struggled finding the worth in themselves because they strived to be someone they are not. Everyone has uniqueness in them but it’s time to open those doors in order to be truly happy.
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