Lessons from my School Life

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I have an obscure memory of the moment when I was in the Nursery of my school – I was making friends and I met a boy who lives near my house and we easily got along. I made some other friends too. It was a lively moment and though I remember minuscule about my early childhood school day’s since every student has a proclivity to despise going to school, still a benchmark would be when I entered into Class I and it was a novel moment when I had to stand in the assembly along with other classmates and pray to God. The same would be followed for next 12 years and it just feels like a fleeting experience. Reaching to assembly and praying for 20 minutes was never any amusing thing for anyone with a child’s temperament but it was the norm and I got acclimatised without much bickering. But, there is more than the assembly. It is how we commence the day and the divine blessing which is always needed to start your day with positivity.
I spent 14 years of my life centred around the same Institution – St. Anselm’s Sr. Sec. School, Ajmer and unequivocally it could be the only best institution my parents possibly got me admitted to. It dawned upon me in 10th class only that the school can only provide you with opportunities – education, friends, inter-school, infrastructure, teachers, etc. but I have to deliberately leverage on them. People seem to have a notion that sending your kids to school would magically transform them with desired characteristics while infusing them is only the school’s responsibility. Education is a bilateral process – Teachers teach, but students HAVE to learn. It completes the cycle, and that’s how learning occurs. Nothing happens passively and education is an active process. The initial high school life was a generic child’s life. Maturity descends after class 10th in my experience.

I discerned the role friendship plays in a person’s life. It is not about the quantity but about the quality. It doesn’t insinuate that we should judge people and then befriend them, but since you will spend most of your time with them, learn about life, build perspectives together etc. then it is necessary to consciously select the friend circle. You need to surround yourself with people that will bring out the best in you, help you amend your worst and have similar goals as that of you. I learnt that friendship is more of spontaneous learning rather than opportunistic reciprocity. It is about serendipity and idiosyncrasy not even of mindless formation of a clique. It is for this reason that I chose to keep my friend-list small but effective. It has helped me grow my many dimensions of life and forestall unwanted problems. I have had the best friends during my last 2 years in the school. They have helped me learn commensurate lessons regarding life.

Nonetheless, my school has also helped me to develop oratory skills too. I can recall being in class 7th and participating in a debate competition while I hitched in between my speech, became anxious and had to desert the stage. The trend continued till class 10th and I couldn’t win any competition. It was only in class 11th that I managed to draw a certificate in PowerPoint Presentation but still, it was 3rd position. Things improved considerably in class 12th when I managed to secure 2 certificates of 1st and 2nd position and also win an Inter-School trophy. It felt triumphant as it took one full week to prepare and only grit and desire to improve my speech could have made it. This feat was not possible without my teachers and I always accredit my success to them. It was only because they choose to select me for the various competitions and took a responsibility to improve my skills. But, I never did it for the awards, I just love being on stage- debating, proving my opponents wrong, creating arguments, and it has been so wonderful experience in the hindsight. I still want to continue with the oration and develop acumen for the same.

The school also taught me the importance of responsibility in life. It is necessary to carry out the responsibility which one has been bestowed with honesty and sincerity. I had been the Literary Secretary of my house – not a demanding post like that of the Captain but still, it has helped me to learn a lot. It has been a profound experience altogether to compete as a group against the other houses in various fields.

Academics are nevertheless the most important aspects being a student. I had been ambitious since the very beginning pertaining to my studies. My teachers had been extremely helpful teaching me respective subjects but in the end – it only matters how much of work I as an individual is willing to put to score good grades. I still have to write by two examinations which have been postponed due to corona pandemic but nothing should swerve me from proving my mettle.

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