Why? the portal to the future

I was watching a movie with my grandson(age 10) and in it was a scene with a circular, watery looking portal that took people to the future or the past or at least somewhere.  And while riding home yesterday from the final day of summer camp I said, "Jack, next week you are going to enter a portal to the future".  Jack was a bit confused and I said, "Jack your portal to the future is school. It's not what you learn, but knowing how to learn. It always doing your best to the point that someday in the future your teachers will remember you and say, "I remember Jack, he was a great student".  "Jack, the most import thing you will ever do is school. It prepares you for life".