How did you feel upon leaving school?

Hmmm, I have a very different take on leaving school.

I went to school during the "de-segregration" era. In Junior High, I could have walked to a local school but instead I was bused to one that was in a predominantly black and hispanic area. There were riots almost every day during lunch hour. My best friend was black and he used to warn me when a fight was about to break out so we could go back inside. When riots broke out, the teachers just locked themselves into their classrooms.

There were no bathroom breaks because cinder blocks were set on fire and white kids would get their heads shoved into the toilets. Blonde girls got their hair cut off. On Fridays, white kids walking alone would get hit in the face. I had that happen.

I was happy to leave that environment, but my parents sent me to a Southern Baptist high school. That had its' own challenges but it was better than what I'd lived through in public school.

Was I happy to leave school? Both Junior High and High School? Absolutely.

Hubby grew up in a small town and he and his sister were popular in school. They had an idyllic experience. She has organized her 40 year reunion. I'm envious.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but that's my experience.

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Happy. I was dating a college fellow from MA, who came down to New Jersey for the summer. He stayed at his roomie's house, and we had a great time all summer. When it was over, and I was getting ready to go to Nursing School, he asked me to marry him. I was appalled as I was only 17. He was 19 and had 2 more years of college ahead of him. I bid him a goodbye and never looked back.
 
seadoug said:
Hmmm, I have a very different take on leaving school.

I went to school during the "de-segregration" era. In Junior High, I could have walked to a local school but instead I was bused to one that was in a predominantly black and hispanic area. There were riots almost every day during lunch hour. My best friend was black and he used to warn me when a fight was about to break out so we could go back inside. When riots broke out, the teachers just locked themselves into their classrooms.

There were no bathroom breaks because cinder blocks were set on fire and white kids would get their heads shoved into the toilets. Blonde girls got their hair cut off. On Fridays, white kids walking alone would get hit in the face. I had that happen.

I was happy to leave that environment, but my parents sent me to a Southern Baptist high school. That had its' own challenges but it was better than what I'd lived through in public school.

Was I happy to leave school? Both Junior High and High School? Absolutely.

Hubby grew up in a small town and he and his sister were popular in school. They had an idyllic experience. She has organized her 40 year reunion. I'm envious.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but that's my experience.

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Oh wow.....Doug I had no idea stuff like that happened ...there's no such thing as segregation schools here.. Oh wow. what dreadul memories.. :(
 

No segregation schools as such, but there were / are church affiliated schools. My own school was predominately Presbyterian and my children went to C of E schools although we had no religious beliefs. Some schools would only accept pupils who were church goers, and I knew some people whose children attended a particular church just so that they could get into a certain school. I think that schools should be totally secular.

I was really pleased to leave school. Much more and they would have kicked me out :D
 
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fuzzybuddy said:
I went to a tiny Catholic school in a small Massachusetts town, where a good portion of the town was somehow related to me. There were 23 kids in my graduating class. Somehow I expected life to be like still in school, but I was free to do whatever- not following a school prescribed program. I felt lost.
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Funny how sudden freedom is so different from how you expected.
 
I felt I had a reasonable education that prepared me for adult life. A great love of reading has always been my great help to keep learning.

Did you feel prepared adequately for life ahead?

I have been triggered to thinking about this as I've begun reading 'Clayhanger' by Arnold Bennett. Anyone read it?
 
Rose65 said:
I felt I had a reasonable education that prepared me for adult life. A great love of reading has always been my great help to keep learning.

Did you feel prepared adequately for life ahead?

I have been triggered to thinking about this as I've begun reading 'Clayhanger' by Arnold Bennett. Anyone read it?
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Are you kidding! I knew it all, wore short skirts and lived life to the fullest.
 
My junior high was kind of like a reform school. Some of the ā€œbadā€ kids liked to shoplift at the nearby store or go out to the woods to do who knows what. Kids slugging adults. Big kids slugging smaller kids for no reason. I was happy to be freed.

I guess I was glad to graduate high school. But then, I attended college for another 9 years total! In the last two years of grad school for mathematics, I was actually loving it.
 
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I graduated in late May and worked every day for 3 months in order to have money to come and spend 6 months as a student in the USA. On a student visa, I was not allowed to work. So, I made as much money as possible before coming over.
Once here, I was staying in different families that opened up their home to me. My first family was Jewish. This was my first exposure to other customs and religion. My American mother, as I called her, was the best host. She spoiled me rotten! She would prepare my breakfast each morning and pack me a lunch. She did not cook, so dinner was always take out!
She introduced me to the NY jewish delis too!
We had a lot in commun. She loved the ballet and art. We would go down to the city and watch The Jeoffrey Ballet. She would take me to Soho to discover the arts (that was the place to go back in to 70s.) She loved NYC and I was a city girl! She also arranged to take me on trips. We toured the whole North East coast together. I loved every bit of it. The best part is that I also met my husband through her. I owe her a lot!
 
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