SCHOOL! YOU’LL NEVER FORGET IT.

My experience of secondary school (junior high-high school) in Ireland.

School: One of the Most Memorable Years of Your Life.

 

Most of us having gone to school would have many of things we could say.

 It’s hard to forget something that played such an important role in your life.

School is one of the few places where you can get to know such a wide range of people. Like the student who always gets into a shouting match with the teachers. That guy who came in at 11 and left at 1. The star pupil who never failed a test. That kid who played every sport under the sun. The down right messer who could even make the teacher laugh. The student who’s relative worked in the school. The one who always gave the smart-alec answers. That one classmate who had an opinion on EVERYTHING. The kid who always got sent out. The one who never did their homework.  The person that gets away with everything. And who could forget that one person whose answer to any work they got was “This is stupid.”

 

Don’t get me started on the teachers! They’re just as diverse as the students.

There’s that teacher who was known for being really nice and never raising their voice. The cool one who made the class interesting but got the work done at the same time. The teacher who everyone was afraid of but wasn’t as bad as you thought. The one who always said “Aren’t you just glad to be back” on the first day in. And what about that teacher you accidently called Mom instead of Miss?

 

Having just finished school in September a part of me misses it. You kind of just knew what to except when you’re in secondary. Everything was laid out for you. Life had a sort of routine that you knew how to work with.

I’ll tell you though once you finish school; half the time you haven’t a clue what’s going on. You might come realize how much your ordinary school life is completely different from the real world. Here you’re pretty much expected to do things rather than told. And if you don’t do it, you’re the only one to blame.

 

But let’s go back to school for a minute. Oh the stories I could tell. There were so many things that happened. But there’s one thing that occurs in every secondary school in Ireland. It’s a really bizarre phenomenon: First Years!

You remember them right? The really small people with schoolbags weighing a ton (kind of looked like over-grown turtles). The only ones who still ran around the yard. When they arrive they think they run the place! They were loud and everywhere.

 

But on some level you can’t blame them. They’re just excited about their new environment. I know I was. On my first day of secondary I felt so grown up. It was completely new and amazing to me. And I was a little head wrecker as well.

I used to annoy this second year I knew in front of her mates constantly.

In fact some fifth years didn’t like my friends or me. We would walk into their role call room to bother them! One particular fifth year was called something on the lines of Danone. So in the morning we’d run in yelling “DANONE ACTIMEL”. This got us chased all over the school. I’m surprised none of us got hurt.

First years are constantly exploring new ideas, however odd. I knew people who smoked paper. Maybe now they’d look back and wonder why they did it, but at the time they saw it as a good idea.

To be fair it’s the older students, who feel more comfortable, that have the really bizarre behavior. And many teachers would agree.

I remember in sixth year, my school would serve free food during eleven o’clock break. What people really enjoyed were the chicken and stuffing sandwiches. And I mean they REALLY enjoyed them. The things that people did just to get them. The poor little first years couldn’t even squeeze past the older students, who didn’t care much for queuing up. But that’s not the most bizarre behavior.

 

During our mocks we had to miss the small break because we couldn’t just stop the test. A few moments after the eleven o’clock bell rang, one boy in my class asked for permission to go to the toilet. The teacher let him, he went and returned a few minutes later. It was only after the test that I found out, that straight after the toilet, he went to get some sandwiches. I was surprised. The idea never even crossed my mind. No wonder he was only person smiling during the mocks.

 

That wasn’t the weirdest thing involving the sandwiches. Another guy I knew got sent out of class for misbehaving. The deputy principal had to be called to talk to him. With a school bag in his hands he was told to wait outside the classroom. For one reason or another, he ended up leaving before the teacher told him to.

The deputy principal later found him in the main hall eating.

I was told she said to him, “It’s a pity when someone gets sent out of class to help themselves to some sandwiches.”

 

As well as students being bizarre, much could be said about the actual schools themselves. I’m sure a lot of people could remember the odd rules and problems they faced. Some rules you actually just wonder: WHY?

Most schools don’t allow people to wear runners with their uniform. I wouldn’t expect them to. What really surprised me was this. When my school got a new building, it really got strict with the rules. In fact a classmate of mine got in trouble for walking through the town, on his way to school IN HIS RUNNERS. Even though it was before 9am. He had a change of shoes in his bag, yet it wasn’t enough. I still don’t really get why this was such a problem.

One rule that bothered me in particular was the “no wearing jackets in class, uniform only” rule. Even when it was cold, this was the one rule they enforced with an iron fist. There were some exceptions. But it still bothered me.

One teacher tried to use the reason that wearing jackets “affected our hand writing.”

 

As much as it may have bothered you, there were so many things about school that you enjoyed. Like finding out you have a half day next week. The satisfaction of passing a test you were so sure you failed. And who could forget free classes! Especially when you had maths and it got cancelled.

And has did this ever happen to you? It’s four o’clock; you’re all ready to go home. The bell rings and you’re happy. Then you’re about to walk out the door.

But someone in the class let’s out a big “Oh no!” What happened? While they weren’t looking, their bag got turned inside out! It’s more than likely happened to at least one person you knew, maybe even yourselves. I know I did that once. But the guy who I pranked wasn’t your average student. This guy… was the principal’s son. Don’t worry though, we’re friends so everything is fine.

 

But school wasn’t always so nice. Many times I’ve seen people getting picked on for various reasons. All in the name of fun. “We were only messing,” they’d say.

The worst part is that most people who knew about it and saw it all happening, did nothing. I’m guilty of that too. No one wants to be the rat. No one wants to get involved. Fighting is a constant reality. And while there are two sides to every story. One side can be completely wrong. Sometimes one of the people involved are merely the poor victims, trying to defend themselves. As much as schools want victims to ask for help and say what’s happening, there’s a problem of fear.

The school may offer some protection between the hours of 9 to 4 but it’s after school that can worry people. If you run into your bully some day while you’re out of school, you can’t ring the principal. I’m not saying schools should stop trying to help. Just maybe try and handle it better.

 

 

As I’m sure a good lot of us had our debs or are going to have it soon. I was nervous about the whole thing… and clueless. Two classmates tried to trick me into thinking I only had about a month to ask someone. It was September!

The whole drama that I went through asking people, sheesh! I must’ve asked like four girls! I even asked people to be my back ups! Kind of sad, I know.

Needless to say I brought my best friend. And I’m glad I did. If you’re going to attend the debs, at least bring someone who you know well. I think though the amount of money people spend on the debs is ridiculous. People can look amazing on so much less!

If you’re anything like me then the day of the debs was nerve wrecking.

Getting out of the car to go to my debutants house was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. And friends and relatives were waiting outside the house.

Not to mention the size of the crowd in front of the school. Awkward!

It was only when I got on the bus that I finally relaxed.

And the rest of it went well.

 

THE LEAVING CERT! Shhhh don’t talk about it. Whether you did good or not I’d say you got sick of hearing about it. And if you’re about to do your Leaving then you probably DON’T want to hear about it. You couldn’t escape it!

The radio, television, your teachers and relatives just kept going on about the

all-important Leaving Cert. And it is important. You just didn’t like hearing about it 24/7. If you’re anything like me, you didn’t even know what you wanted to do with your life after you sat your exams! The fear of failing was what bothered a lot of us. The disappointment our parents would feel. If we failed it, our lives would be over, so we thought. I was so scared I dropped a higher-level subject on the day of the exam! But no matter what you think about it. Once it’s all over, you will be delighted.

 

Before I finish, can you all think back for a moment and remember the very last day of class? Not of school but the last ever day you would be taught by your teachers? I do and for a good reason. When class was over that day I was about to go home but someone stopped me.

They said “Joshua, I’ll never forgive you if you tell them this. But a few of your classmates are waiting outside at the front to throw water balloons at you.” I kind of expected this to happen. I knew they were planning something. That being said, they handed me a few water balloons, and basically told me

“You know what to do.” And I did what anyone would do.

I hopped the school wall and ran home. Funnily enough, what I won’t forget is this. My very first day in my new school I had an art class with one of the most interesting teachers and I was introduced to one the smartest people in the class. On the last day of the leaving cert, my last official school business, I had just completed my art exam, the last teacher I saw was my art teacher and that same student walked out with me, we were the only ones left.

 

Well there’s much more that could be said about school. Like how it’s amazing the transformation that occurs from first to sixth year. Your best friends when you went into secondary might not even know you once you leave it.

It’s a growing process for everyone. Some more than others. Never the less I wouldn’t take it all back.

 

Most people though, once they leave school probably don’t even want to even go near the building. Yet strangely enough… I want to be a teacher.