As little kids, people learn how to talk, walk, eat, and do numerous other activities. Imagine if no one ever learned how to do those simple tasks. Individuals would have difficulty communicating, feeding themselves, or going from place to place without knowing those feats. It would be hard for people to do just about anything! Therefore, in life, people, including iUP owls and staff, must learn new things. Everyone has several learning opportunities in their daily lives, and it is so vital that Owls/Staff reach those opportunities and learn something new. Learning something new can help advance and impact lives in many ways. 

Knowledge is Power

Undoubtedly, learning skills different from what we already know can help Owls/Staff become more knowledgeable. iUPrep 7th grader Anika Goswami says she likes learning previously unknown to her because, “Learning something new offers you a chance to gain knowledge and find out more about the world around you.” Anika also adds that she thinks iUP Owls should learn something new because, “iUP owls learn new things every day, and therefore they are more knowledgeable and have had the opportunity to explore many interesting and exciting things!” 10th grader and Associate Editor of iHoot, Marcus Bamber says, “I feel the satisfaction of gaining knowledge and it just feels great as a whole.” Another iUP 7th grader, Evelyn Cook, simply states, “It lets me grow in my knowledge.” Learning new things can help Owls/Staff become smarter and wise in their life! Think about it, wouldn’t you be happier and have more opportunities to bond with people after learning and being open to new skills? 11th grader Savannah Tafireyi agrees, saying, “Being in tune and in sync with others, allows for deeper conversations and better human connection.” That is another benefit iUP Owls and Staff should consider. 

In the Zone

Eventually, learning new feats can help Owls/Staff grow and get out of their comfort zone. To explain, Savannah says she tries new things because, “Learning allows me to grow and improve. Whether it’s learning in school or through personal research, new knowledge means new ideas and new ways of thinking!” Learning new habits exercises your brain and stretches those mental muscles, resulting in better work done by iUP Owls and Staff. 7th Grader Kshetra Jinukala says iUP Owls should pursue different interests “Because students should step out of the box and learn something else [other] than school.”

Owltastic Achievements

 By just reaching that opportunity of learning something new, iUP Owls/Staff were able to attain amazing accomplishments (or want to in the future!). Anika Goswami learned tennis and now enjoys it a lot. Marcus Bamber put his mind to learning the Rubik’s Cube and now he says, “It didn’t take very long and over time it really became a hobby. It felt great to see that something that I had spent hours working on, I was actually getting good at.” When I was little, I started learning a new passion, which was singing and dancing. I practiced them often to refine these skills. Savannah Tafireyi learned coding and programming, and now she says, “I have gained so much knowledge about how websites and mobile apps are designed.” Simply put, learning can advance not just one person, but several people as well.  

Handy Dandy

This experience can come in handy as well. For instance, when I learned how to do online school, that experience was convenient because it came in handy when the pandemic came along. It made the struggle and adjusting to the routine a whole lot less and less difficult. 5th Grader Avery Whitmire says “Some skills will be important when you grow up, like math or other languages. Others are more extracurricular skills, like sports and hobbies, that will be useful in certain communities.” 7th Grader Yadiz Martinez adds that “It’s REALLY valuable if you learn something that can apply to real-world situations, like the clubs here at iUP. The skills we learn are essential to later real-life situations, and who doesn’t want to be more prepared for anything that comes their way?”

 What are some new things Owls/Staff can try?

Gathered from fellow Owls/Staff are some ideas for new things you can try learning! Below are clubs and activities to check out to start your journey in learning new hobbies:

• Sports (Check out Outdoor Activities Club!)
• Instruments (Check out Music Club!)
• Puzzles (Check out Chess Club!)
• Challenge your Reading Level (Check out Book Club!)
• Art (Check out Art Club!)
• Swimming
• Study tips/tricks (Check out Studyriffic Owls!)
• Volunteering (Check out Owl Pals!)
• Cooking (Check out Cooking Club!)
• Gratitude
• Coding (Check out Coding Club!)
• Writing (Check out iHoot!)
• Crafts (Check out Maker’s Club!)
• Learning a New Language
• Anything you want!

Professor’s Point of View

What are some things the professors think about learning something new? 

Mrs. D’Aliso, a professor here at iUP, shares how students can grow through learning new activities because “I think it is important that students convince themselves at an early age that they have no limits in this world. You can do anything you set your mind to.” She points out that learning is engaging and interesting, and “never exhausts the mind when you are trying and learning something new and fun.” Mrs. D’Aliso also wants to learn to reupholster furniture and loves to upcycle. “I love the idea of taking something old and making it new again,” she says. Mrs. Sierra Williams says that she loves learning! She says that it is important for iUP Owls to learn because, “For one, life would get boring if you quit learning. Secondly, new information can be impactful for your safety and health.” Mrs. Williams has participated in many awesome pastimes, and something recent she has tried was “opening a shop with my mama.” She listed her struggles that eventually turned into benefits like, “[it] definitely presents challenges” and “we had to learn some marketing.” She points out that after their hard work, “seeing the vision come together has been so rewarding!” Mr. Hannon says, “I like to think of myself as a renaissance man, always looking to learn new stuff,” and he goes on to say that iUP Owls/Staff should try being experimental and explore new passions “because you’ll be surprised what might interest you.”

This shows that not only students, but staff and professors can also try learning something fresh! You can learn new things no matter what kind of Owl you are, and it’ll benefit you just the same. 

Wrap it Up in A Bow

In conclusion, Owls and Staff see many learning opportunities come by every single day. By learning in a new way every now and then, people can automatically become more knowledgeable, advance, and jump out of their comfort zone to benefit their mindset in countless ways. As they say, a little knowledge can go a long way!

*quotes adjusted for grammar and spelling