School is probably the most important part of a child’s life. Form friendships or not. Maybe, you felt isolated or faked your way through your school years. Never feeling like you could be yourself. Always trying to impress the other children. Oh, if you only got do-overs, what would you change? Think about each school that you attended (for me, I only wished that kind of time – I attended 7 different schools in one school year – we moved around a lot), imagine yourself back in your school building. Walk through the corridors, offices, classrooms. What memories of people and events and moments do these places bring to mind?

How did you do in school? Did you get good grades? How hard did you work?

Recall your most memorial classmates (not necessarily your friends). Recall any moments or occasions of each. Did you wish you were like any of these people? Did you want to be their friend? Were there people that you avoided?

What was your social life like? Imagine its recess or lunch or after school. Walk through your school yard, ball field, auditorium, and gymnasium. Let those places and spaces bring to mind the people, events, moments, and stories of what happened there. What did you play? With whom? Were you popular, liked by many of your classmates? Did you feel like a nerd, hoodie, prep, jock or complete outsider? What group or clique did you belong to? Did you want to be a part of this group or was it the only group that you felt would except you? Did you spend time inviting or excluding others from your group? Were you a mean person or a victim? Did you try to join a clique and were denied? What were the other groups? How did you feel about them? Were there any bullies (physical or emotional) at school? Were there any times that they bothered you? Were you ever a bully? Did you ever get into a fight?

Recall your favorite and least favorite subjects and teachers. What subjects did you like best? Imagine yourself back in school, in those classes, with those teachers. What moments or occasions do you remember of each of them? Did you have a crush on any of them? What teachers did you like the least? Recall each of them and what happened to make you dislike them. Recall some moments when you did well or not so well.

Recall the clubs and groups you belonged to. What memories do you have of these. Were you in any plays? What role?

What was your personal reputation in school? Did anything happen to give you a reputation? Did your reputation come, at least in part, because of your family, or our brothers or sisters?

Did you ever receive any recognition, positive or negative? What did you do to earn awards? Did you ever get in trouble? Were you punished?

Recall any memorable school events. Visitors? Field trips? Games? Did your parents ever come to school? Did they attend any of your school events or games?

Did you take classes outside of school? Music? Dance? Art? Were they important to you?

What is an inspirational quote/suggestion you got as a graduate, or one that you want to share with a graduate? With many colleges/schools holding commencement activities this weekend and in the coming weeks, graduates will hear many speeches with words of wisdom. Are there any words you especially remember from a graduation? Is there something special you would like to say to a graduate?

These complications cast a steadily gathering shadow over my daily life. They took one away from all the interesting things one wanted to do in the nursery or in the garden. They made increasing inroads upon one’s leisure. One could hardly get time to do any of the things one wanted to do. They became a general worry and preoccupation. More especially was this true when we descended into a dismal bog called ‘sums.’ There appeared to be no limit to these. When one sum was done, there was always another. Just as soon as I managed to tackle a particular class of these afflictions, some other much more variegated type was thrust upon me. My mother took no part in these impositions, but she gave me to understand that she approved of them and she sided with the Governess almost always. ~ My Early Life by Winston Churchill