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Fighting Education: My Journey from Struggle to Success

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNH chapter.

As a child, I absolutely hated going to school. Every morning, leaving my mom was the hardest part. She was a great mom, and I always had so much fun with her. But beyond that, I dreaded school itself, especially the learning part. I didn’t want to learn here or there. I didn’t want to learn anywhere. I refused to read a single summer book and outright rejected any attempt at flashcards. Every morning was a battle. I would kick, scream, and even beg stoplights to stay red just to delay the inevitable. It wasn’t until sixth grade that I finally accepted my fate: nine hours a day locked in a classroom. Looking back now, I think my resistance stemmed from the rigid structure of school. Learning felt forced and I could feel my creativity being pushed to the side. My struggle was enhanced by an undiagnosed learning disability that my elementary and middle school insisted wasn’t there. I remember being pulled out of sixth-grade math to “play games” with a specialist, which seemed like a privilege at the time. But in reality, I was missing out on crucial lessons that would impact my academic confidence and mental health for years. I don’t blame the school for putting me in a system built by Neanderthals, they were just trying to figure out what was wrong. But the effect lingered. I didn’t truly enjoy reading until my sophomore year of college, which is fitting because that’s when I started caring about school. I’ve faced real consequences from my earlier resistance to learning, and my mother jokes that she has cursed me so when I have a child, they will be just like me. College has given me the free time to explore who I am. This self-discovery has made me realize just how creative I am. I joined Her Campus, a women’s digital newspaper, and now am the social media manager on the executive board. I have also channeled my creativity into work, landing three internships in content creation and communication. Post-graduation, I hope to continue in this field. Now, I genuinely love literature and I am currently reading Little Women. My journey is still unfolding and though I sometimes find myself pushing back against education, I’ve learned that it’s just a sign I need a break.

Jade is a senior at the University of New Hampshire.