What Does It Mean To Be A Student?

Student life dates back over two thousand years, however, the concept of what being a student entails varies from person to person and over time. So, what does it mean to be a student? The most basic and simplistic definition by Merriam-Webster defines a student as “a person who attends a school, college, or university.” Nonetheless, some may argue that being a student incorporates a deeper meaning. Andrew Torres, a current student, defines it in his words: “I believe that being a student means I must constantly consider past decisions and understandings to progress towards success and handle any complication that life may hold so that I could live on as a student out of the classroom.” (Torres 3). It is clear that he believes in a rather complex
Whether one likes it or not, parents play a major part in one’s education and formation. In many modern examples parents will most likely try to provide their offspring with as many opportunities to excel academically as possible, “…my mother would always ensure that she could enroll us in the best school possible even if that meant waking up at 5 a.m. to commute…” (Torres 1) expresses Andrew Torres, a single-parent child, who admires his mother’s efforts to support his education. Similarly, such parental care for their offspring’s education goes back to ancient Roman Republic. Horace, an Ancient Roman lyric poet, talks about his father’s role in his academic success by stating: “It’s due to my father, who though poor, on poor land, / Wouldn’t send me to Flavius’ school…” (Horace 1), “But instead he bravely whisked his son off to Rome, / To be taught the skills senator or knight would expect/ To be taught his son…” (Horace 2), “He, the truest of guardians, toured all my teachers/ With me, too. What can I say? He guarded my innocence,” (Horace 2). Such quotes provide testimony that one’s guardians will definitely impact one’s life, by providing support and care, for the most
For example, some will go to private and smaller schools, while others may go to larger, public schools. I, for instance, went to a large public high school and graduated with over five hundred people in my class. In contrast, Melissa Lee, a current student at CU Boulder, went to a small private school, as she affirms: “There were only fifty-four students in my graduating class of 2016” (Lee 1), “Fun fact: Wildwood cost as much a year as CU Boulder does.” (Lee 1). She also notes a few characteristics that differ from the reality of those who went to larger schools, “As time went on I discovered having such a small class was a completely different experience then those who went to school with over 1000 people in their graduating class. The classes had at most 15 people. The cliques formed in 3rd grade and never changed. The boys were always the same.” (Lee 1). These differences in class size and school structure are important origins to how students will perceive information and learn. I would rather learn in smaller classes where I get a chance to receive individual assistance, while some students may find it easier to acquire skill in a larger setting. Both environments will be beneficial to different people, consequently, the type of student one