글 Seoyeon Sophia Choi(Gr 9 Port Moody Secondary)
Not all learning happens in a classroom. Learning doesn’t just take place in school it’s about adapting to change. I used to think learning English meant memorizing words and grammar rules. I was wrong. When I moved to Canada from Korea in the winter of Grade 5, I quickly discovered that language wasn’t just about vocabulary it was about culture, connection, and understanding how people think. Just as I was starting to adjust, the world changed overnight.
The COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. Suddenly, there were no classrooms, no teachers, no face-to-face anything…and no friends. Like, really no friends. Online classes were tough, especially in a second language. I often felt lost in translation literally and emotionally. But when schools finally reopened in Grade 8, nothing felt the same. Everyone had changed. I had changed too. Adjusting once wasn’t enough I had to do it all over again: socially, emotionally, and academically. Slowly, I rebuilt my confidence, made new friends (finally), and learned to speak up more. Through it all, I realized that learning isn’t always in my control but my attitude is. And real learning? It takes time and a lot of patience.
Just when it felt like things were finally getting back to normal, another disruption arrived ChatGPT. Suddenly, students were writing essays in seconds, sounding like mini university professors. Some called it cheating. Others acted like we’d never have to learn again, especially English. I’ll be honest I was curious. I tried it for a writing assignment. It worked. Sort of. But as I read the result, I realized I didn’t understand a single thing I had “written.” It was like turning in a stranger’s homework with my name on it. That moment taught me something huge: easy is not the same as smart.
Instead of letting AI do the work for me, I started using it differently. I watched TED Talks and videos about AI in education. I used ChatGPT to help me ask better questions, fix my grammar, and understand things more clearly. I stopped trying to sound smart and actually tried to be smart. I also talked to my friends about it some of them changed the way they used AI too. I learned that AI wasn’t the problem. The way we used it was. And if we stay in charge, it can actually help us learn better, not worse.
What started as a three year plan to study English turned into something much bigger. In my time in Canada, I’ve had to adjust to a new country, survive a global pandemic, and now, learn how to coexist with AI. It wasn’t the experience I expected but maybe it was the one I needed. Because now I understand something important: the world will always keep changing, and the real challenge isn’t just keeping up. It’s learning how to keep learning.
