I still have nightmares about being unprepared for school tests. Would dream analysts interpret that as meaning I don't feel in control of my life or that I have a fear of failure? Maybe I just need to be better prepared for blood tests and eye tests.
I went to an all girls' school - white blouses, blue skirts and brown oxfords. The only time I got away with makeup was for missed tests.
I didn't like math. I didn't like subjects that had exact answers - subjects with no wiggle room. History didn't have wiggle room. I didn't understand the importance of learning specific dates. Who remembers them? When I was studying history, the only important dates were on weekends.
I liked philosophy, psychology and religion because they had wiggle room. I liked literature classes best because they had the most wiggle room. Because we read works by dead authors, who could say my essays about them were wrong?
Then there was physical education. The best thing about phys ed classes was not having tests. In my case, however, some creative writing was necessary - by my doctor. With his help I avoided field hockey like the plague.
Being a compulsive personality, I took copious notes in every class. When studying for tests, I took notes on my notes. The ability to memorize got me through school.
Now the inability to memorize is one reason I don't take adult education classes. The other reason is I never want to see a report card again. I never understood how I could get a 3 in effort for a subject in which I had gotten an A; but in spite of being a Type A personality, I didn't have that problem enough.
I never had the problem of being teacher's pet. Well, maybe I was the drama teacher's pet and she just acted like I wasn't.
When I was in school, who knew I'd have as much trouble with my sons' homework as I'd had with my own? Who knew some countries would change boundaries and some would change names? Who knew there'd be new math?
One time when I was helping my younger son study for an American history test, he explained history had been much easier for me because I'd had much less history to learn. Hmmm ... maybe it wasn't a dog that ate my homework. Maybe it was a dinosaur.
KNIGHT PIERCE HIRST takes humorous looks at life.
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