By Essa Nazari
Let me be amongst those that will say this to you several times over. Welcome to Hogwarts. This school will push you to limits that you never thought you could reach and teach you how to fly higher than you had ever dreamed.
And I know every single one of you have been itching for that perfectly magical moment when you cast your first spell. Real magic. Not the accidental stuff we have all done. But the real stuff with the intention of actually doing something magical. I remember those days with an oddly fond aspect.
And I remember the never ending frustration (and embarrassment) of failure after failure. I could tell you awkward story after awkward story of practices gone wrong and even a time when a friend needed help and my magic failed me. To put it bluntly, I stank. Magic and I were not on speaking terms and there was nothing that I could do about it but to keep on practicing.
Okay, so, what do you do if you stink at magic? Here are a few steps to remember.
- Do not panic. Everyone learns at their own pace. Some people seem to grasp spell casting/brewing/transfigurations a whole lot quicker than others.
- Practice. Practice will make perfect–even if it is imperfect practice. Because magic is a bit like a muscle memory you have to practice it. If you have ever watched a baby learn how to walk, they can’t just get up and run around the house like a wild child at first. No! They first learn how to scoot, then crawl, then stand, and such and so on. Right now, you are learning how to scoot, crawl, stand, and then walk.
- Don’t give up. Giving up is the worst thing that you can do. Whatever you do, keep trying. Keep practicing. Have faith in yourself because no matter what, you will develop those skills.
The awkward relationship that I had with magic my first and well into my second year? But by following those three steps, I have improved. Keep your eyes on the stars and never stop practicing.
