Page 51 - Secondary School BEATS

When School was a thing:

A Trip Down the Memory Lane

By Anvi Dogra (MYP 1)

The 7am alarm, back then. The crisp uniform by the bedside. Mom’s scream, ‘Anvi, get up fast… it’s 7 am.’ My
half- awake and half- asleep brain would guide me to the washroom. It all happened when school was a thing.

Now, the 8 am beep, no uniform by the bedside, my almost – asleep- brain, drags me to the study table.

I would jump from the car in front of the school gate, exchanging glances and smiles with my friends back then.
That five- minute walk to the classroom, the morning chit- chat with friends. Gosh! What a morning booster
it was… When school was a thing.

Now I drift lazily out of my room to the study room. It’s just an aloof laptop staring at me. The Teams
icon scoffs at me, “Welcome to the boredom.”

Those dynamic classroom sessions, when our tutor used to be in front, and all of us,
side by side. New discussions, silly arguments and des- perate wait for short breaks,
free play sessions… It all happened when school was a thing.

Now it’s “Excuse me, ma’am,” “can I ma’am,” “sessions, with our half- visible tutors, behind
the masks. All of us on a screen, no free play sessions, no gos- sips, only SAs and FAs are our
friends.

The cacophony of the dining
hall when we used to eat more
magpies and less food. The
aroma of onion rings, poha,
gari- gola is still so fresh in
my mind. The friday feast,
French fries and pasta with
garlic bread only happened
when school was a thing.

Now it’s mom’s health- freak
breakfast on the study table,
lunch too at times. Monday and
Fridays are all the same.

The dispersal time, moms, and
dads in the queue at the school gate.
The teachers on the microphones,
announcing our names, and we are
lending deaf ears to them… It all hap-
pened when school was a thing.

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