From my book, PHASES OF LIFE AFTER DEATH

They passed a long rod over my head. It radiated in the darkness. Peace left me as I realized the dimness of the situation. Life has left my body now and has left me in a world of answers, answers too deep for me to understand. Falling forward and into darkness was the last of the void, and then came the light.
The presence came closer. He took my hand. Not as we might hold hands with a loved one, but rather a mind and spirit handhold. That which makes one feel loved, wanted, and humble. I wanted this feeling to last forever, but it was not what they wanted. They wanted me to continue. Not settle into contentment but to burrow on, to lift myself toward a goal.
I must find my past, learn from it and then settle into knowledge that settles one mind into a large void. Void is a place of nothingness, much like a large tire filled with air. You can't see anything, but you know it is there. Accepting proof is hard. All that we've done is termed life.

My opinion: Do we choose what we must learn on earth?

I feel that we all come back to this earth to learn and as in school we do not choose what we learn, nor do we choose the teachers who are teaching at our school. I was always told that we are given "homework" and we come to earth to do that work, which entails going through different experiences in life. If we knew why we were here and why we have to learn what we do, we would be on the other side, because once we complete the assignment and pass on, we have the opportunity to go over the tests we went through and get a grade.