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Practical English: Giving opinions about why school is a pretty good deal

Jennifer O'Hagan Tuesday, 21 August, 2012 - 21:22

  '10 reasons why school was actually a pretty good deal'

Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘your school years are the best years of your life’? Well, it’s not true. At least, I hope it isn’t. It would be pretty sad if all the good stuff was over before you reached your twenties. But still, as I was walking to work the other day, I started thinking back to my school years in the UK. 

They might not have been the ‘best’ days, but there were definitely a lot advantages of being at school. Here are some of them: 

1. Friends. I can’t think of anything more luxurious than spending every day with my friends. When you leave school, meeting up with even one friend can take a lot of organising. 

2. Free knowledge. My school was free: it cost me and my parents £0. £0 for English, Maths, Geography, History, Art, and lots of other subjects. What a bargain! Learning can be really expensive when you leave school -- especially in the UK, where university has now become almost as expensive as buying a little house. 

3. Uniform. In England, school kids wear a uniform to school. Mine was blue. It wasn’t fashionable or particularly flattering, but it saved a lot of time in the mornings. Now it takes me ages to decide what to wear.  

4. Short days. My school days sometimes felt very long but they were, in fact, very short. The school day started at 9 and finished at 15.30. I used to think of ‘home time’ as the beginning of the evening, but nowadays I think of 15.30 as the middle of the afternoon. 

5. Exercise. I’m not very good at sport, and I don’t really like it. But at school, sport was compulsory -- twice a week we had to play netball, hockey, rounders, etc. I now realise that this was a good thing! Without compulsory sport, you become very lazy... 

6. Bunsen burners. Unless you become a scientist, it’s unlikely that you will encounter Bunsen burners (or, indeed, other pieces of scientific equipment) in your post-school life. What a shame! 

7. Holidays. Christmas, Easter, Half-term, and, of course, the jackpot: the summer holidays. There was always a holiday to look forwards to at school. Time to ride your bike, to sit around watching films, to have sleepovers, and then the last day to do your homework. 

8. Teachers. Believe it or not, I miss teachers. Okay, so they give homework and they make you stick to the rules. But they also share their knowledge with you and help you get to the right answer. When you no longer have teachers, you have to find the answers all by yourself! 

9. Resources. School had all the resources I could have asked for: books and paper and glue and paint and bats and balls. If I now wanted to make, for example, a papier mache, I would have to spend all day shopping for the ‘ingredients.’ 

10. Not-knowing-what’s-coming-next. I never really knew what I would 'do' or ‘be’ after school, but it was okay: The Grand Future was far away in the distance – filled with all sorts of different paths and possibilities. I guess it still is. 

 Some opinions are:

 Sizar Alonso 26 August, 2012 - 13:17 Hi… The topic was really interesting as you've mentioned crucial and significant facts.I'm sure I will encounter all those feelings like other people ,this summer I finished school, when I was studying for the final examinations which were extremely hard, I was just wishing to be ceased, though I was sure that my University life won't be better. Life always wants challenges and sometimes I really get bored..I don't know how my journey in Medicine college will begin in the next few months.One of the biggest problems is that I'll leave my best friend and I really hate looking for new friends, cause I think it is a really hard thing and nowadays people always lie so I think it will really be hard to find new good friends... Thanks again for this great writing. 

Jonathan Rickard 26 August, 2012 - 13:46 Hi! I'm sure many people will feel the same as you when they leave school. So, you're going to medical school soon - wow, what a great achievement! - and don't worry about making new friends! You can do it. And even if you can't see your best friend every day anymore, you'll find a way to stay in touch and extend your friendship in a new way. Good luck with everything and thanks for writing. 

Jonathan (LearnEnglish Teens Team) Sizar Alonso 26 August, 2012 - 13:47 Thanks a lot Mr Jonathan. You're right. 

Lejdi 17 September, 2012 - 15:09 Hello! I really like school. I like all my subjects. I learn everyday because it is very important .I want to be Someone in my life. My parents chose for me the best .My community is the best.There aren't bad guys.Also school make us 'Someone'.My teachers are very nice .They help me so much.If I have any question ,they are ready to help.My friends are nice,too.They are very smart.We help each-other.Believe or not but school is not that bad .School make us Someone.

So, what's your opinion?