What if Aladdin’s Genie suddenly appears and says he will grant you a wish and you can go back in the past: at what point in time would you go back? What memories of your past will most likely float in front of your eyes? Be you a person of the 90’s or the 21st century, most will yearn to go back to their high school days and want to live the golden days once again to its fullest. Those days were different for everyone but the sentiment is eternal. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive once again the high school memories from the past and present.
High School Days of 90s
If you were born in the 90s, thinking about high school you may recall the images of a pale yellow school building covered with algae, a wide field that meets the horizon, or maybe a pond adjacent to the school. For most 90s kids, this is the visual that they could relate to. Then there was the sight of a waving flag adjacent to the Shaheed Minar standing tall at one end of the field. And the sentiment behind the congregational singing of the national anthem “My golden Bengal, I love you” in front of the Shaheed Minar during the morning assembly was just magical.
No matter where you came from, these high school memories transcend boundaries of time and draw a sense of unity. Wearing a uniform and stepping onto the high school yard for the first time was electrifying. It was as if saying to oneself “I’m all grown up”. High school memories of the 90s were full of bantering, and being fancy. High school days were unblemished. They were all about getting the thrill of understanding new things, fighting with our friends for a seat by the window, escaping classes, bunking school, hiding on the roof of the school, flying kites, and getting into an uncountable number of troubles.
The blissful memories
As there was a character like Maya miss who always kept smiling and had the sweetest and kindest smile in her face, there was also a frightening character like Jashim Sir as well who would punish us with a cane stick (the stick even had a name) for not doing homework. Even though the names are different, most 90s kids can relate to the existence of these kinds of characters from their high school days and all the experiences associated with them. Or maybe someone like Sanchita miss, who to our utter surprise, would start singing Rabindra Sangit not caring about checking our homework on a rainy afternoon.
At that time, the long summer holidays added an extra dimension to high school. The gang gathered to discuss what more mischiefs they could get themselves into during the holiday. On the other hand, the thought of the school resuming, and joining friends was also thrilling.
High school days were significant for another reason. This was when most people experienced the feeling of falling in love for the first time. It started with a glance, exchanging notes or sometimes with strange gestures during class.
Every day of high school life was filled with magical memories. If you have similar high school memories, then you are one of those lucky ones who enjoyed high school from beginning to end in the 90’s.
High School Days of the 21st century
Back in the 90s, high school days were colorful and full of thrills. But unfortunately the same can not be said for the 21st century. The color is still there but has faded. Luxurious multi-storey buildings with every possible facility are now more prevalent than the L-shaped algae-laden single-storey schools. Blackboards and chalk have been replaced with modern whiteboards and markers in the classroom. In order to adapt to these modernities, the stories of high school life have also changed little by little.
Education has become a race as everyone is trying to win by becoming first or getting the highest possible marks. Rushing for admission into a high-profile coaching center and taking private tuitions have become a norm. Most high school goers of the 21st century have no idea about the joys that a 90s kid would feel when the staff rang the final bell marking the end of a school day.
The changes
Things are different today, students are not only limited to school life. The Internet and technology have broadened their way of seeing things by connecting them to the global chain of networks. As a result, today’s high school students spend more time roaming the branches of the internet than they do between the four walls of the school. The means of expressing love has also evolved from the notes and letters to Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
However, what has remained unchanged in the midst of countless changes is friendship. This unavoidable relationship is eternal. Although indoor games like “bou-chi” and “daria bandha” are long gone, the children of today still indulge in popular sports such as football and cricket during tiffin gaps. The fear of Jashim sir is no longer there. Maya Madam, who was always seen to be smiling is also a distant memory. But that doesn’t mean kids of today don’t have such characters among their favorite teachers. Kids still get into arguments, fights, disagreement, and sometimes their pride gets wounded. Some things don’t change with time, afterall.
Suddenly one day, the impatience we had as a child moaning “Ahh, when will I grow up?” is met and we realize that we are no longer the kid we were. Like this, the golden days of high school remain only as memories. But what is the harm in looking back? High school memories were magical and you can make your quarantine life at home a bit more exciting by going back to one of your favorite high school memories and sharing it with us in the comments section below.
