Gym Class

Back when I was in school, people pretty much either loved gym class or hated it. Those who were good at sports enjoyed taking the break from the classroom. Then there were those who weren't the least bit athletic; they dreaded their time in the gym.

Gym class, also known to some as "phys ed," wasn't restricted to the gymnasium. For example, students could end up on the tennis court or on the track, depending on what was planned for that particular week. Over the years, I had to do everything from climbing a rope to roller skating around the gym. I had to learn how to square dance and how to play several different ball games. Gym class was nothing if not varied and unpredictable.

In junior high, gym class alternated days with health class. That's when things got really interesting.

All-Nighters

Back in my college days, I occasionally pulled all-nighters. I'm sure students still do that, but I doubt it's the same.

Basically, whenever a research paper was due, it was a sure bet that I'd be up all night just to get it finished. It's not that I hadn't done any work. I had. I just hadn't finished. So there I'd be, sitting at the table with my pen and paper in front of me, going through a whole lot of books I needed as sources. Yes, that's right. Pen and paper. This was back when hand-written papers were still accepted.

I was always careful but sometimes I'd mess up pretty badly and have to start that page over. Sometimes my pen would run out of ink, which is why it was always a good idea to have two or three of the same kind handy. My hand always hurt long before I finished writing.

When I had to study for a major test, things got a bit more complicated. If it was a final, sometimes I'd just go to cafeteria at the student union and study there. Otherwise, I'd stay in my dorm room or apartment. After staying up all night, I'd think, "I know this material. At least, I know it well enough. Maybe I should just go ahead and take a short nap."

Sure enough, I'd either:
1. Get up late and just barely make it to the exam.
2. Be unable to get to sleep because I was worried I wouldn't get up on time.

Fortunately, I didn't pull all-nighters for every paper or test--just the big ones.

So Many Books!

When I was in grade school, my classmates and I had to fulfill a reading requirement outside the classroom. I'm not sure how many years it was required, but I do know it was mandatory in at least the first and second grades.

The requirement was simple. We had to read a certain number of books in addition to the ones we all read in class. These extra books could be anything we wanted, as long as we read the entire book and not just a page or two. I believe the required number was 32.

At the beginning of the school year, we received a pre-printed form on which we (or a parent) were to write down the book titles. Then, at the end of the school year, we turned in the completed form. If we exceeded the requirement, we could continue the list on another sheet of paper, staple the pages together, and hand in the entire list. We didn't get any extra credit for them, but the teacher could see just how busy we'd been.

I was always an avid reader, read far above my grade level, and read just about anything I could get my tiny hands on. It always took me very little time to get through the required number of books. Just 32? No problem!

In the second grade, I was pretty pleased with my list. I'd read well over a hundred books and could easily have told you what happened in all of them if asked. (That was back when my memory was actually quite good, as opposed to now, when I probably couldn't tell you anything about what I read yesterday.)

I proudly gave my teacher the list. She glanced at it, scowled, and asked, "Why'd you read so many?"

Can you imagine?

Fortunately, her sour attitude didn't spoil my love of books.