This is where I make the confession that I used to like school until one day, I didn’t. And that mostly has to do with growing up.
All through my school days from nursery to Jss1, I never experienced the 2nd position. I was always top of my class. No joke. This trait always won me the favors of school proprietors and headmasters. I was placed on scholarships for 8 years of education.
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Contrary to belief, I was a back bencher. Mostly because of my height but then again, I loved being invisible. I wasn’t shy. I was loud. Outspoken. Blunt. And that earned me the dislike of more than half my classmates.
I had a knack for overdoing and I also never studied but somehow, I always emerged top, my scores transparent enough to prove it. One time, the head of the primary school I was in suggested I be moved up two classes. He said my brain was wasting and I would be lazy if not stretched.
My mom was strongly against the idea and left things the way they were. I can’t help but wonder if things would have changed if I was actually stretched.
I would watch my classmates read and cover the modules for the term early. Model students with enviable character and yet, I always carried the best grades. I can tell you that I don’t remember once opening my notes except for my Achilles, math.
Fast forward to secondary school and I met my match. Or matches. Let’s call them Mary and John. We three were friends and rivals. John was the geek. The math freak with gifted hands. He had the uncanny ability to bring pictures to life with just a pencil. Mary was gifted in the Home Economics department. A great cook, quite loud but had unpredictable mood swings. And then I.
We always wrestled each other for top spot and yet, we would come through for one another when help was needed. John would tutor us in Math, Mary would take us on Business studies and I was the English / Basic Science & technology wizard. If you can believe it.
During exams, we would hurdle together to compare scores and wait with nerves for the final results. Many times, I have turned up 1st position, a couple 2nd and just once 3rd.
This happened when I underestimated my classmates like I used to do in Primary school. I believed I had it in the bag until I didn’t. Looking at the number 3 was a great shock. I got dizzy. Literally! That was how I met John who bore the 1 that was supposed to be mine.
I worked hard the next term, confident in my scores as I compared them with John’s. And then Boom! 2nd. That was how I met Mary. I became wary of this two and intentionally got close to them – ‘keep your friends close…your Position stealers closer.’
And a camaraderie was formed. The challenge was refreshing until I moved schools. An All-Girls school. But at this period, I stopped caring. This was when I was battling depression and did not even know I was. I came 8th at some point and 16th one time. And I did not care.
If I am to quantify myself as a student, I’d say I was nonchalant. I never cared about school and just went to fulfil all righteousness. But I don’t regret it either. School is fun. It has played a huge role in my upbringing.
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