Challenges of School

　　Life is full of challenges. School has to be the most challenging obstacle in the lives of youthtoday. Elementary school brings about a few challenges characteristic of those years spentthere. There’s the challenge of coloring in the lines, a very real problem to any youngster. Orhow about the challenge of remembering to raise one’s hand before one speaks?

　　There are hundreds of rules and regulations that govern these young children. The one thingthat keeps these children in line is the hope of reward. Yes, this is the brass ring. The reward fora clean desk is an extra five minutes of recess!

　　The prize for having all homework done, a shiny-new pencil topper! These small wonders keepsmall people in line.

　　They make the children love challenge. Middle school is not so easy. It is not easy for thestudents, and it also isn’t easy for the teachers.The challenge of staying out of trouble, orwriting that research paper —these are the new confrontations of an older, wiser group. Thisclan has outgrown the recess and pencil-topper tricks. They know that their efforts have tobring them something really useful, so mom and pop are pulled onto the scene. How does five, ten dollars for each “A” sound? Or, how about no telephone if one doesn’t do good in school? Need I say more? By the time high school arrives, a student’s place in academic excellence orelse their unlikelihood to even graduate has been established. Little can be done now to makelife’s challenges seem interesting, especially where school comes in. The slothful are rewardedwith a nice job at a gas station, a pregnant girlfriend, and a fifteen-year-old Ford. The diligentare rewarded with an SAT score of over 1100, acceptance into Yale University, and a ticket tolife. By meeting the challenges of school, sticking it out, and pulling through, they are giventheir greatest reward: success.