The Joys and Struggles of My Elementary School Days | by Fadlurrahman Andino fachry | Sep, 2025
When I look back on my childhood, one chapter always stands out: my elementary school years. They were simple, colorful, and full of lessons that shaped who I am today. Those days were not always easy — sometimes they were filled with laughter, sometimes with tears. But together, the joys and struggles made those years unforgettable.
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Recess: The Playground of Happiness
Recess was my favorite time of the day. The moment the bell rang, I would run out of the classroom with my friends. The schoolyard suddenly transformed into a world of endless games: marbles on the dusty ground, jumping rope with chants, or kicking around a plastic ball until our shirts were soaked with sweat.
I remember how carefree it all felt. We didn’t need gadgets, we didn’t need fancy toys. All we needed were our friends and a little space to run around. Those moments of play, filled with laughter and shouts, are still some of the happiest memories of my life.
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The Struggles of Homework and Discipline
Of course, not everything was joyful. There were struggles, too. I still remember the embarrassment of forgetting my textbook one morning. My teacher asked me to stand in front of the class as a reminder to be more disciplined. At that age, it felt like the worst punishment in the world.
Homework was another challenge. Some nights I would sit at the table, staring at math problems that made no sense to me. Sometimes I cried quietly, worried about what would happen if I failed. Looking back now, those moments taught me resilience — that sometimes learning is difficult, but perseverance matters more than instant success.
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Friendships That Felt Pure
The friendships I had during elementary school were unlike any others. At that age, nobody cared about status, background, or appearance. What mattered was whether you wanted to join the game, share your snacks, or laugh together at silly jokes.
One memory I treasure is of a friend who split his bread in half because I didn’t have money for snacks that day. Another friend always waited at the gate so we could walk home together. These small acts of kindness may have seemed ordinary at the time, but now I realize how genuine and pure those friendships were.
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Lessons Beyond the Classroom
Elementary school was not just about learning how to read, write, and calculate. It was about learning life itself.
• I learned to share, even when what I had was very little.
• I learned to accept losing, whether it was in a marble match or a running race.
• I learned to be brave, standing nervously in front of the class to recite a poem.
Those lessons, hidden in the ordinary days of childhood, shaped my character more than I realized back then.
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A Journey That Stays With Me
Now, as I think about those days, I feel grateful. Elementary school was a short period of life, but the impact is lifelong. The laughter, the struggles, the discipline, the friendships — all became part of who I am today.
If I had the chance, I would love to relive just one day of it: buying snacks from the canteen, playing under the hot sun, and laughing freely with my friends. Because in those simple moments, I learned that happiness doesn’t always come from something big. Often, it comes from the little, genuine things we share with others.
