2020: I’ve Never Faced a ‘Back to School’ Like This Before

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I set a few unrealistic goals for myself at the beginning of summer, as so many of us do. I’d heard that the summer following 10th grade is supposed to be meaningful, but don’t “meaningful” and “summer” kind of have opposite meanings? I think my summer was pretty meaningful, but my bar for what is meaningful is probably pretty low because of the wasted summers I’ve enjoyed my entire life.

This year, interning at beijingkids has been fun and educational. Having a platform to learn and write about the city I live in as well as personal stories has been lovely. The work environment was also more casual and inviting than I expected. An added perk is that the beijingkids office is located near some of the biggest shopping areas in Beijing, so I’ve had a blast tasting all of the many restaurants saved in my DianPing. You might have heard of water scarcity, but in Shunyi, where I live, there’s a scarcity of amazing restaurants. As a foodie, that’s a tough place to live in. I’m positive that if one conducts a study of the concentration of foodies in the districts of Beijing, Shunyi’s numbers would be towards the bottom of the list.

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I swear time goes faster during summer vacation. 7 weeks, ‘poof’, and it’s gone. Is it just me, or do the first one or two weeks of summer seem meaningful and long, but the rest of the summer just flies by within the blink of an eye? It’s like some type of mind trickery.

Well, now begins the annual countdown until the start of school, which for us Keystone Academy students, is the Aug 17. I’m both dreading but eager to begin school.

In previous years, my excitement for school came from a mix of wanting to get away from my family and guilt for being irresponsible and unproductive over the summer. (I’ve just described a stereotypical teenager who is rebellious and has no direction in life, I know). However, this year I’m excited for different reasons.

First, this year is bound to be different. Our first two weeks of school will be conducted online, again. My personal views on online learning are mixed. COVID-19 has affected education in unexpected ways, some positive and others not. I like being in charge of my own time and staying at home, but face-to-face learning is much more interactive and productive. I’ve also learned about several useful online educational resources like Education Perfect and NoRedInk which make learning fun and interactive despite being on a screen.

On the other hand, disappointing and lower-than-expected 2020 IB results have raised questions about what constitutes “fairness” in testing during a time when different students are affected differently by a global pandemic. Going into 11th grade, college is no more a distant myth, it’s the next major step of my life. Everyone wants to maximize their last two years of high school, and it’s a bit worrying because of this fluctuating and unpredictable pandemic.

Aside from academics, extracurriculars are essential to almost every student’s school experience. If the basketball season gets cancelled, that will not only be a blow for me, but also to every passionate student who is involved in school athletics. Basketball means a lot to me, and many don’t understand why, but I think that basketball can be compared to a good friend. The more you invest in it, the better your relationship with it.

That’s the thing. There’s so much uncertainty in everything we do right now. However, with this uncertainty comes anticipation for adventure. That’s what I’m hoping this school year’s going to be like: adventurous with ups and downs. Nobody wishes to live in a predictable utopia, that’s merely a moral construct. We need adversity, we need challenges, and we need adventure. That’s my mentality towards the upcoming school year. It will be full of challenges and surprises, but what really matters is embracing it by taking risks and coming out as a better and wiser person. Instead of being vulnerable to chaos, find yourself within it. Don’t be yourself, be better than yourself. Well, that’s gonna be my motto for this year. I hope I don’t mess it up…

“Jack, thank you for all of your amazing work during your summer internship. We have loved having you in the office and will miss your unique and thoughtful perspective. We wish you the best of luck for the academic year, we know you’ll thrive” – the beijingkids editorial team

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Photo Credit: Unsplash, giphy

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