Did you enjoy your school days?

freshpopcorn · 21-08-2025 10:09PM #1

With the schools going back it got me thinking.

I always remember having a teacher in secondary school saying that school days was the best days of your life.

At the time I thought school was okay. I didn't hate it but I wasn't jumping up and down about going back at the end of the Sunmer.

To be fair my teachers were generally fine as was my class.

However, if you told be I had to go back in the morning I'd be dreading it.

If I was going back I'd take things a little less serious. I used be fretting over French Vocab.

Did you enjoy your school days?

RobbingBandit · 21-08-2025 10:18PM

Nope got bullied into oblivion with one creep being expelled for singling me out in an all boys school class of 30.

School can be hell on earth if you are in any way different I am Autistic and didn't find that out until 10 years after that situation.

RMAOK · 21-08-2025 10:24PM

Hated the sight of school. Couldn't wait to leave the place. Had a rough time there and it's had an effect on me for years.

It would be torture to have to go back to it.

Get Real · 21-08-2025 10:36PM

Had an amazing time in primary school.

That all changed in secondary. In addition then, the final two years coincided with family issues.

All resolved now. But would be fair to say those final two years were hell. I didn't act up or mitch etc. But it became a chore. Almost a relief in ways to be in there although being in there I struggled too. Just a weird time and would never go back.

LambshankRedemption · 21-08-2025 10:42PM

Primary school got shunned for being different, and then bullied. It was hellish.

Secondary School got bullied until age 15 when I took up Judo and made friends with the older guys who were into different music.

Met some amazing people, but in general hated every minute of it, and taught myself more stuff since leaving than I learnt while there.

** My own personal experience **

Short answer: No.

road_high · 21-08-2025 10:45PM

primary school was great and have mostly good memories of that and the people who were there in my class.
Secondary school was a lot harsher- went from a country school to town where I knew nobody at all in my classes and they had all come in from town schools- all knew eachother and had their own cliques and plenty of bullying. All on top of the new academic system and ways of learning. Was utterly ridiculous that my parents sent me there tbh- I think to parents credit nowadays vs the mid 90s they are far more aware of things like this and a scenario like that probably wouldn’t happen as people are a lot more aware of the importance of stuff like that and importance of friendship- my niece is starting secondary in a small country town school with all her primary school friends starting with her which is amazing

Lewis_Benson · 21-08-2025 11:01PM

Hated the place.

Monday mornings were a dread. I had very few real friends and felt a bit of a loner. Had no confidence in myself and didn't know how to talk to others.

Kalimah · 21-08-2025 11:46PM

Loved both primary and secondary school. It helped that I had great teachers in both and didn’t have to kill myself to do well.

forumdedum · 22-08-2025 12:10AM

"school days was the best days of your life" - because I was young. I had no interest in school. Found it boring. Primary wasn't so bad

Brian CivilEng · 22-08-2025 06:49AM

I remember my school days very fondly but if I stop to think about individual days I can remember the bad things that happened.
Overall though they were good.

Potential-Monke · 22-08-2025 08:52AM

Can't really remember primary school, but secondary... I was dreading it before I even started. I was short for my age, and I'm ginger, so I already knew I would be a target. Didn't think it would be daily though. Lots of hard boys picking on the smallest and weakest to assert their dominance. Took throwing a table at someone in 5th year to get it to stop, but before that I was suspended 5 times for defending myself, bullies never got suspended.

In the 6 years, there was maybe 2 out of 30 teachers who I would consider good, my junior cert maths teacher and the leaving cert music teacher. The rest varied from ok to present to actively making me more stupid. Religion was still a thing, so had 5 classes of a nun trying to tell us about life every week… my leaving maths teacher was getting dementia so I more or less ended up finishing the problems he was putting on the board and forgetting how to complete himself. My mate still thanks me to this day for showing him how to math because the teacher couldn't. My Irish leaving cert teacher was having a 2 year mental breakdown.

My 2 best subjects were maths and technical graphics, got 100% in both for higher level junior cert. Then did TY, and into 5th year because French and TechGraph were on at the same time, and i HAD to do French, I had to drop TechGraph and do "business". They also wouldn't let me into higher level leaving cert maths as I was "too disruptive" (these days its called ADD) even though I never made a second of trouble in maths because I was ingested in it. Nope, didn't matter, a vice principal who didn't even teach made that decision. Thanks for ruining my future! Didn't even compliment me when I somehow managed 320 points, handed me the paper saying I didn't deserve it. Great confidence boost, let me tell ya.

Overall, looking back, it was a horrible time which started to shape me into the negative human hating person I am now. Thanks to the bullies and non-caring teachers!

Dogsdodogsstuff · 22-08-2025 08:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123743426#Comment_123743426

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123743352#Comment_123743352

Sunday night “where in the world” or “glenroe” music made me nauseous as it was signalling the end of weekend and painful slow horrible drudge towards Monday morning.

I was lucky to be able to generally manage my way around classmates so that they sort of liked me (mostly by self deprecation) but school, like life, is full of obnoxious people jostling to be heard and demanding attention.

I’m neuro diverse aswell and find the lack of self awareness and ferocious commitment to conformity in neur typical people to be equally pathetic and toxic. Always found the x men movies relatable on a weird level because many people fear different and see it as a threat or something to belittle.

BrianD3 · 22-08-2025 08:53AM

I'm not sure if I "enjoyed" my (single sex) primary school, it was something I had to do and I experienced the Sunday evening angst like most people. I did very well academically, was not bullied and have fond memories of some of the teachers. July and August were bliss.

Co-ed Secondary school - things got a lot more complex and tense. The psychological bullying was pretty bad, everyone's hormones were going mad. Most teachers were either mediocre or terrible. There was a sense of unease most of the time. I slipped academically yet was also a goody two shoes who didn't go to niteclubs and engage in underage drinking like many others from about the age of 15 onwards. Was regularly called a F@ggot as a result.

College - I definitely enjoyed this and did very well academically. Wasn't a party animal and didn't drink after 1st year but used to love going back on a Sunday evening and after the summer holidays.

Cyrus · 22-08-2025 08:56AM

always liked school, like everyone you have periods where there is an issue with someone about something but all in all they were great days both primary and secondary, i never found academics challenging so that helped, boarded in secondary school and they were great times playing football every evening etc and absolutely loved university.

Nigzcurran · 22-08-2025 08:57AM

Ah there were some deadly days in secondary learning about boobs and bums. Teachers all hated me and I wasnt really there to learn but had 3 years of good fun till I eventually got thrown out at 15

breezy1985 · 22-08-2025 09:02AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058422434/did-you-enjoy-your-school-days

"I always remember having a teacher in secondary school saying that school days was the best days of your life"

The people who relate to this are the kind of people who become teachers. It's the same people who tell you teachers (or nurses) are absolutely wild because they had one year of getting a bit drunk in Coppers or it's provincial city equivalent.

With some extreme exceptions if you couldn't make your adult life more interesting or exciting than your school one you are lacking in either imagination or personality.

SuperBowserWorld · 22-08-2025 09:04AM

Went to a boys national school, mixed until 2nd class, then a mixed vocational school in a rural town. 70s/80s.

Have a physical issue that would have got the **** bullied out of me in certain schools. But not once did I get bullied.

Easy going upbringing with no pretentions or expectations from parents or teachers. Class members all the way through we're all brilliant and fun and easy to get on with. Lots of laughs. Very little stress at exam times.

I honestly think I was very lucky.

Rocket_GD · 22-08-2025 09:06AM

I think there could be very much a generational divide between people who liked it and didn't based on what I've read on this thread.

I was in a mixed secondary school from 2004-2010 and loved it. Get to spend most of your day with your best mates, teacher's were generally good and actually sound, especially when we were in 5th and 6th year, most treated us not like children but young adults. Plenty of girls around your age too which always helps!

Never didn't want to go in and would happily relive those days all over again if I could.

magicbastarder · 22-08-2025 09:12AM

my secondary school has reunions every ten years - private school. i've not gone to any of them (and there have been three). why would i? there are a few guys i'd like to catch up with but i've maintained contact with most of my friends i made there, so why have to deal with catching up with a bunch of guys i've no interest in or actively disliked.

there was some research done by the school 10 or 15 years ago where they approached a bunch of past pupils to ask if they'd send their kids there - and apparently the response was quite negative. the head of the school when we were there would have had a lot to do with the negative response.

con747 · 22-08-2025 09:12AM

I miss the headmaster in primary school putting 10 wooden rulers together to give you a few whacks on the palms of your hands, and the teacher who used the bamboo stick. Secondary was a bit better because the Irish teacher just picked you up and threw you across the room. All in all it wasn't the worst…

Cyclingtourist · 22-08-2025 09:18AM

I went to school during the time when physical punishment was routine. I hated every minute.

Aisling(",) · 22-08-2025 10:38AM

Overall I liked school.I enjoy learning and used to love buying my books and stationary for going back in September. I made my core group of friends in primary school and we went to secondary together and are still in each others lives 30 years later. School was never too difficult for me and I was never particularly bullied. There were some mean girls of course but I had my group of friends so it was never too bad.

I did see some girls have a horrid time and I wish I had the ability to stand up to people back then that I do now. I suppose there was an element of they'll turn on me if I say anything. It's an awful shame because they always went for the easy targets.

I loved college aswell and I've liked most of the jobs I've been in. I'm probably just easily pleased.

breezy1985 · 22-08-2025 10:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123743938#Comment_123743938

; )

road_high · 22-08-2025 12:15PM

College was a breeze compared to secondary school in my experience- maybe it was the course I did and a lot more of the people were from similar backgrounds to me. Was way easier to make friends

pjmn · 22-08-2025 01:05PM

Not really - enjoyed the sports, had one teacher in secondary school that picked on me big time - thankfully all got resolved the day I called him Hitler in front of the entire class…

elperello · 22-08-2025 01:13PM

Not particularly.

So I don't dwell on thoughts of my schooldays.

Nor do I care much for tales of other people's schooldays.

So I just skipped all the comments.

Sorry !

RicketyCricket · 22-08-2025 03:27PM

No, hated every minute of it. Not in touch with a single person from school and all the better for it. College, now those were the best days of my life. I'd go back to that in a heartbeat.

JupiterKid · 22-08-2025 03:48PM

Had a good time in primary school - I was good academically, had plenty of friends in school and most of the teachers were grand.

Secondary was a completely different affair. I was badly bullied and picked on by three lads in 2nd and 3rd year, was very isolated and had virtually no pals in my year. It was hell, frankly. The early years of secondary school were/are pure hell for many kids. Bullying and cliques were rife in a vicious and very toxic environment.

Then at the start of transition year, my mum died suddenly and tragically at only 46 years of age. I was just 15 but I lived in the empty family home 5 days a week on my own whilst my dad commuted back and forth from Belfast, where he worked, every weekend. My two older sisters had already moved out and moved abroad. I got myself up each morning for school and made my own dinner, did my own laundry etc. I had a lot of support from neighbours and friends of the family and I was determined to make the unusual arrangement work, and I did. Things did get better in 5th and 6th year and I had a couple of school friends by that time. Sat my Leaving cert in 1993 and I was very glad to be finished the ordeal of secondary school.

College was an absolute joy and incredibly liberating compared to the confines of school. I made quite a few life long friends there, loved my course and had a really great time. I also came out in my final year which went really well.

Anyone who tells you that school days are the "best days of your life" is spouting complete and utter scutter with rose-tinted glasses. The sentiment also reflects an unhappy adulthood. For many people, school was very far from the happiest days of their lives.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000 · 22-08-2025 03:53PM

School was responsible for some of the best days and worst of my life up until that point, now the worst days I don't even think of, overall, school was kinda awesome.

talla10 · 22-08-2025 04:08PM

School was ok. I was always good at sports so did well there and not bad academically. Definitely not best years of my life though and like others the Glenroe and Where in the World music still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end…

sliabh 1956 · 22-08-2025 04:09PM

Without doubt for me I loved every minute in my Schooldays,not that i was very clever in any way but i managed to get by without too much effort . This was during the 60s early 70s which I know for others was a traumatic time to be in school. To be sure I got an occasional clip but I deserved it. What I loved most was the sport saying that I always felt sorry for those who weren't good at sport, as I felt they missed out and so much pleasure. My parents never put any pressure on me to achieve massive points in my leaving cert. So I actually looked forward going to school each day to be with my classmates and teachers. I never graduated from college but things worked out pretty well for me all in all. But for me Schooldays were definitely the best day's of my life .

Did you enjoy your school days?

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