Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things You Didn't Like About School

From this site comes this week’s Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things You Didn’t Like About School. In no particular order, mine are:

1. Homework
2. Having to wear socks (part of the uniform for my Catholic high school. One day in my junior year, I got HALF a detention once because I forgot to put on one sock!). Never have liked to wear socks since
3. Math classes. Never liked ’em, never will
4. The cliques — all the different groups in the school. I was one who tried to cross the boundaries, and did so with some success
5. Having acne (this isn’t strictly school-related) and having acne at school (school-related!)
6. Getting erections every day (in Sister Roberta’s Geometry class) while going through puberty. You could set a clock by ’em
7. I joined the Catholic education system (from public schools) in the 9th grade, so I had to work very hard to integrate myself into the long-standing relationships that kids who had always gone to school together already had
8. The mandatory masses held every so often (once a month, maybe?). As a non-Catholic, I would have preferred to sit in study hall but was not permitted to do so. As a result, I learned to perfectly parrot the mass, even the Latin parts, without any significance or meaning to me (I guess that made me a little more Catholic than I thought!)
9. From college (pre-computer days!), having to walk back and forth across campus to get the “required signatures” on various forms. I quickly learned to carry a red, blue, and black pen so I could sign the forms myself and save the steps.
10. That I didn’t appreciate those years then as much as I do now. Despite the seeming complexity, the angst, the drama, and everything else, those years were among the most enjoyable years of my life. It is a rare treat to have knowledge poured into your brain; now, as a professional, we have to fight for any learning. Back then, it was just there for the taking. Would I go back? Not on your life. But I, now, appreciate those years a lot.