Five Things I Liked About Going to School

Back to school season is in full swing and I hope that everyone has a successful year. The last time I ever stepped foot inside a public school was nearly 20 years ago. I attended two different vocational schools and graduated from both of them in a span of two years. The last school I attended, I graduated with Honors. Next month will mark 15 years since I graduated from the now closed Ouachita Job Corps. I've talked about my time there in one of my previous stories, which I'll link down below. In this story, I'll share some great things I loved about going to school. Many people dread it, but there are some good parts about it. Let's go over this list together and the following are in no particular order. What did you like the most about school? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Recess

The first entry on this list is an activity that gave us at least half an hour of fresh air. I grew up in the 1990s in Texas, so I always looked forward to recess. Sliding down a slide and swinging on a swing were two of my favorite things that I enjoyed the most at the playground. On a hot day, the dumbest thing I've done was slide down a slide. Being burned from a scorching hot slide was one of the worst feelings ever and many of us could relate to this. I also enjoyed playing basketball. Being a 90s kid was awesome and grew up in one of the best decades and at the right time.

Parties in Class

If you grew up in the 90s and it was either your birthday or someone else's birthday, you had either cupcakes or cake. Also, probably other snacks and drinks. Plus, we had Halloween parties. Christmas parties. Valentine's Day parties. You name it. I remember back in the second or third grade that we had a Christmas party in class and each of us received gifts from one another. I can't recall what I received, but it was the best Christmas party I enjoyed so much. I miss those days and now, many school districts have either banned or restricted birthday parties, which vary by location. The last time I had a birthday party was when I turned 14. Since then, I either celebrate my birthday at home alone or on rare occasions, go out to eat. For context, I'm a November baby and my birthday this year falls on a Friday. I'm highly considering going back to Texas for my birthday weekend. It'll also be my final year in my thirties.

Square Pizza

School lunches these days are ultra processed and unappetizing. They also lack flavor and actual nutrition. One of the things I enjoyed eating for lunch was square pizza: a delicious staple that many of us 80s and 90s kids enjoyed growing up. When I was in school, we had this every Friday. If you desire to recreate this delicious delicacy, I have a link down below to a recipe.

Old School Cafeteria-Style Pizza Recipe - Relive School Lunch Nostalgia

Watching Movies in Class

When your teacher is not in the classroom for a day, in most situations, a substitute teacher would allow us to watch movies without doing any assignments. It all depended on the kind of substitute teacher you had. If you're an older millennial, we watched them on those old TVs on top of those wheeled carts. Remember those?

Everyone Signing Your T-Shirt on the Last Day of School

I saved this entry for last, because I have a story to share. On the last day of sixth grade, there was a Hawaiian-themed party for us sixth graders inside the gym, and I had a great time. I remember my parents coming to school that day and they met my teacher. Before they arrived and while they were there, many of my peers signed the t-shirt I was wearing. The final day of being a sixth grader was an emotional, yet exciting time for me. I enjoyed my summer and was preparing to attend my first day of middle school. This event took place 25 years ago. The signing on t-shirts has been a tradition for decades to commemorate the last day of school. If I had a time machine, I would go back to the sixth grade and do it again.

I might do a second part to this soon, but here a question to everyone: What are some things you liked about school? Elementary, middle school, high school, college, trade school. It doesn't matter. Feel free to share in the comments below. In the meantime, please give this story a like if you enjoyed it. Subscribe to my page and follow me on social media. Finally, to show me some love and support me even further, please leave a generous one-off tip, which is located at the end of this story. No matter how big or small of an amount you give, it encourages creators like me to keep writing new stories.

My Experience at Ouachita Job Corps | Education