School is a time for significant personal growth, wherein individuals discover their unique identities and develop life skills alongside academic knowledge. The lasting bonds formed with friends through shared experiences, laughter, and mutual support are a central and cherished part of a school life. No jealousy, no anger, just pure innocent fun. School isn't just about growing older, it is about growing together. One should be thankful to all the teachers for their unique personalities and supportive nature who, more than education, instilled good moral values in us alongwith invaluable lessons and inspiration. I believe it to the core that at every stage, in every classroom, we had teachers who instilled something in our running software (mind).
School Memories
There are lots of school memories, but I only want to say, the childhood was begun from the school and it ended with the school and there is always a corner in my heart for my school time memories. The journey from learning the alphabets to more complex subjects was a period of constant growth and discovery that is fondly remembered. Many school memories evoke a deep sense of nostalgia, recalling a simpler but symbolic period of life such as;
Early morning, waking up and going to school daily seemed impossible then. Though I used to sleep early, my brain just wouldn't fall asleep until 12am and I would always end up sleep depriving myself. The most difficult time was to wake up early especially during winters. It just feels to stay into the blanket some more time, that famous excuse to Amma “Just five minutes more”, and not waking up until Amma snatches away the blanket or actually kicks you out of the bed. Of course, wearing the uniform each morning was a ritual — ironing it by Amma or Dad in a hurry or fixing that tie just right — it was a daily struggle. Amma dressing us in school uniform and giving us breakfast while we are busy watching our favourite Tom N Jerry cartoon with sleepy eyes. Dad packing our school bags and most of the times, forgetting something and then Amma running after us with the same. That “School dress” and also those awkward moments of wearing mismatched clothes or school dress backward. Amma’s frantic search for a lost shoe or a missing sock.
I still remember the first day of my school. I was howling like other kids. Teachers were trying to console us. It took few days to get comfortable with the teachers. Learning the numbers and alphabets were a bit difficult in the beginning but we got used to it. But the best part was shouting as much as we could while reciting the poems. The main intention was to offend the teacher so much that she would leave us in peace for the rest of the day.
The “GOOOOOOOOD MORRRRRRNINGGGGG MAAA’AAAMM” to welcome the teacher in the class was fun. This was a typical morning wish to teachers that we all have done in our school days, our first line every single day. No orchestra, yet it deserved the Best Song Award. It was a vibe, whether sleepy or not, we all said it loud and proud, dragging every word like a chorus. Even now, you can’t read it without hearing it in the same tone.
We would trouble our teachers so much that almost every day, we used to stand with our hands raised in front of the entire classroom. School life memories are incomplete without punishments, yes like every student, even I got many chances to stand with hands up or holding my ears outside the class.
Excitement of using pen for the first time in 5th class
Bitching about teacher ka chamcha (teacher’s pet).
That one feku (boaster) friend who told you that his dad’s cousin was Mr. Ambani
Laughing out loud if someone passes comments on a teacher
“I would like to request Principal Sir to say 2 words on this auspicious day”- the most hated sentence in school. The principal’s 2 words would go on for 2 hours. Yawn…….
That patriotic feeling when national anthem was played during assembly. A memory of standing in lines in order of height for daily morning prayers, a practice that is often recalled with a mix of nostalgia and humour. PT Sir calling out “go straight in a line”. Singing “Jan Gan Man” together. Shouting loud at the end of the national anthem.
Spreading rumours that school was built on a graveyard.
Counting students in each row to see which paragraph I have to read.
Those Sanskaari boys, who used to nag that they don’t want to sit with girls? What happened now?
Your best friend asking you to help him/her distribute chocolates among all students on birthdays. You used to receive one chocolate extra. Distributing chocolates with your best friend on your birthday and feeling like a star. Remember how powerful it felt to be the one? Suddenly, you were the most popular person in class and everyone wanted to be your friend (at least until the chocolates ran out).
PTM - Parent-Teacher Meeting. Your teacher complaining to your Dad “Your daughter is going well in academics but she’s so talkative”.
Looking at school’s handsomest guy- Siddharth with one eye open while playing. Asking for a pen from him just to start a conversation.
I can assure you that many of us used to forget to complete your homework. The common excuse was "I wasn't able to understand all the questions" or “Teacher, I did my homework, but I forgot my books at home or “My Dog Ate My Homework”.
Skipping school wasn’t always the best idea. But yes, I did make funny excuses for bunking school, Amma, Stomach is paining, I think I have fever, severe headache……. But Amma would never budge and she would forcibly send me to school knowing very well her daughter’s melodramatic acting skills.
The most disgusting was when the PT lecture would be taken by the subject teacher in order to complete the portion. We would all get pissed off and then purposely trouble the teacher.
Summer Vacations about to end and school is about to start. The excitement of new uniform, new books, new class and the most mysterious question “Who will be our class teacher this year?”.
You are certainly not an Indian kid if you didn’t use brown covers for covering Books & Notebooks. Whether it was a start of a new session or a new semester, covering notebooks with covers and writing names & subject names with a premium gel pen is what we all have done in our school days. I still remember, how I used to ask my sister to hold the tape and give me tape strips one by one. That smell of new books and copies and Stationaries we loved. First day in new class, feeling of getting one year senior with new bag, pencil box, water bottle and new books. That self-promise “this year I will maintain my copy, no pending work and no tearing up pages” , well this promise stays only for few days. Who can forget Natraj pencils sharped in pencil box with Camel Geometry box!
The excitement of stepping into the library was of the next level. Owning a school library card was nothing less than pride. Issuing books from the school library was much more comforting than reading an E-book.
The most stressful yet the memorable times of school were the exam times. That excitement when we got the time table to know when the exam started and more importantly when it ended. That relived feeling after answering the last question of the question paper and the wait for the bell to ring and return home. Revising the entire syllabus, a day before exam, sharpening the pencil, checking the pens and keeping our pouch ready a day before to revising again and outside the classroom before the exam starts, asking friends “Kitna hua? and “Padha kya?”. In exams, standing up and shouting for an extra supplementary.
Exam Results - Our whole class used to peep out from the classroom doors again and again so as to check that pile of white sheets in teacher's hands. I always used to pray to God especially when my paper didn't go well that " God please fulfil my wish that today mam should forget the papers in her house so that we don't get it". Some of my friends used to pray that "Kaash paper hi jal jayein". And I think we all prayed the same thing. We never hated tests but the results.
- Throwing wastage paper at the first benchers.
- Talking about the last episode of “Spiderman and Shaktiman”
- Complaining to Teacher “He/She is hitting me from behind.”
- Those last benches and those who were sitting on the last bench. Those back-row moments felt like pure freedom.
- Sitting on the ground in the circle, sharing everything, laughing.
- 4 people fighting over a single samosa in the school canteen.
- May I come in Ma’am? - when you are late to the class
- One hand distance during assemblies
- Shifting benches closer to each other and solving maths.
- Being the only girl in the group of 4 boys and feeling masculine while handling projects as a team.
- Having a single male friend. Only he knew the real me.
- Writing the creepiest things on desks.
- Ever wondered how that Ohhhhhhh! came simultaneously after the power goes off especially during the boring lectures.
The chilling question of winters: ON or OFF the Fan. Half class shouting “ON” and half class “OFF” confusing that poor guy standing near the fan and at last following the teacher’s order. I still remember, at one time, the funniest part was there were three fans, but one of them didn't even have any blades. It would spin around uselessly, just rotating in circles. Despite the uselessness of the fan, some student would come along and stick a shoe into the fan, making it even more dysfunctional. Instead of complaining, the entire class would just sit there, hypnotized by the spinning fan, staring at it without saying a word.
“Is this a fish market?”- The very famous dialogue of Indian teachers exasperated by a noisy classroom, before leaving the students in a bewildered silence, only for the class to erupt into giggles and noise once the door closed.
Impromptu leave due to rains. You got ready getting up early morning wearing your uniform and raincoat, went to school and returned back again because school declared holidays due to rains. Returning home again was a different enjoyment then, afterwards eating the tiffin that your mother packed for you during lunch and enjoying it with rain and some cartoons on T.V.
The most fun days to return from school were definitely the rainy days. Making paper boats and playing in the puddles and of course, getting drenched in the rains
The wait for the lunch break. The ringing of a school bell signalling the start of lunchtime was indeed the best school memory that we all cherish now. The aroma of lunch boxes opening and kids running in the corridors, sitting on the desks or doodling on the blackboard was the typical lunch scene in my school. It was also a break from all those boring lectures and a chance to hang out with your besties. It was really funny to think about the serious decision of where to sit every day during lunch time. That common question in the morning "Oye tere lunch me aaj kya hai?" My absolute favourite school memory! Having lunch while class was going on. There was something so rebelliously satisfying about sitting comfortably on the last bench, quietly munching on our tiffin while pretending to pay attention to the lesson. Come on, almost everyone has done this.
Being the monitor of the class and not writing your friends name and complaining the teacher about the same if some other person does.
Going on school excursions was nothing less than a gala event for kids. Daddies buying all sorts of snacks and packaged food for kids while Amma’s teaching them about do’s and don'ts to follow during the trip. It really didn't matter where you are going. The best part about the school trip was the bus ride. Me and my friends used to sing many songs so loudly in the bus during school trips. Teachers arranging the seating plan as per kids' roll numbers, guiding them about the place they’ve visited, clicking class group pictures and coming back with infinite memories.
The games period was one of the most loved & waited periods for kids. Wearing white school shoes and playing all sorts of games like kho-kho, football, basketball, badminton and more always brought joy to all.
At times, when we used to enter the classroom and saw an unfamiliar face sitting at the teacher’s desk, we all knew that it's going to be an amazing day. I still remember that our whole class used to try to convince our substitute teacher by telling him/her, how our regular teacher always let all of us play the blackboard games during the class. You know what, I used to enjoy those substitute teacher days a lot and always used to pray to God that" Lord, please tomorrow also our regular teacher should be absent".
Daydreaming is something that has happened to all of us. I still remember those days I started dreaming about the things that I will do after school ends while the class was going on. My teacher used to wake me up by throwing small tiny chalk pieces at me.
Pin drop Silence - When our class monitor used to tell us that principal mam is about to come, then our whole class used to maintain pin-drop silence at that time. It seems like no one is in the class. And as soon as, principal mam used to go back to her office then we all used to shout and make a lot of noise.
Duster In-charge - I always wanted to become the duster in-charge because that person is always in demand. Every teacher calls him/her to rub the board.
Washroom me chugli – I am sure every girl must have done this.
The loud cheers of "Green House, Green House!" and the accompanying house jingles during annual sports week bring back vivid memories of enthusiastic participation and fierce competition.
Every teacher has a nickname they never knew
Being Teacher’s favourite and Punishments: Being teachers’ favourite was a big achievement in class, trying to impress teachers by giving answers in class and when teacher asks you, though not being a monitor but to collect all Hand written copies and bring it to the staff room, that felt like the most important and wanted in the class. No wonder, when someone else was teacher’s favourite, it meant he/she was buttering teacher.
Giving others is practicing humanity and this is what we were taught in school. Khari Kamai was the concept that was created to encourage students learn and earn by doing small odd jobs like watering the plants, helping Amma cook, washing neighbour’s car, arranging sister’s wardrobe, pressing granny’s feet and more. This was not just about teaching children that every job is valuable but also how they can multiply that value through basic human kindness. The money collected used to be donated to Animal Rescue Trust and some NGO’s.
Chalk fights and pen fights that left the classroom looking like a battlefield.
Chemistry lab and experiments - I remember Indira teacher – our Lab in charge used to scold us for trying unwanted experiments in school as we used to mix two different acids either playfully or innocently. In fact, there were few small blasts too in the chemistry lab, but that too was one among the best school life memories.
The Funny Fights in class. I don’t even remember the reason. But, a simple handshake, a smile, and everything was fine again.
Boy-Girl Friendship (The Pure Kind). Nobody cared much about boy-girl friendships. Just a simple comfortable bond.
The Saree Touch - Touching a teacher’s saree while she walked past us such a small thing, but back then, it felt like winning a trophy. Secret proud moments.
When we looked sleepy in class, some teachers gave us a fun task—sit, stand, jump. It actually worked. Suddenly, we were all awake and giggling.
The last period always used to pass waiting for the bell to ring
And so on …
School life is definitely an important ‘memory diary’ that we all look back on. Literally, I wish that I could get some superpower by which I can go back to school days and enjoy it again. Every wrinkle on that shirt and every ink stain on that skirt told a story — of classes we loved, subjects we feared, and teachers who shaped our future. Those were the days where there were no work pressure and no tension of earning money.
No matter what’s going on in your life right now, School memories always make you happy.
The first day is remembered for its tears of fear, while the last day is often marked by tears of sadness for leaving a cherished school environment, friends and teachers, a bittersweet feeling, with the realization that the strong bonds and shared experiences with close friends are about to change as everyone moves on to different schools or paths.
