My heart was filled with joy as I walked out of my BECE exam hall, knowing that I was finally done with junior school. Despite my rush to wear pleated daywear, have a line on my white shirt, or finally drop subjects like French, I kind of actually miss junior school. In many ways, junior school has helped shape me into who I am today. 
This whole journey started on the 28th of August, 2021, as I walked through the gates of JMC, my parent’s final goodbyes and advice coursing through my mind. To be quite honest, I was a bit scared, but I held my head high with high hopes. First year of junior school, JS1, laid the foundation for me. It was when I knew that secondary school was no joke. I was able to choose suitable study methods and habits and learnt positive values like punctuality, respect and honesty. I met many new juniors and seniors who were also with me through thick and thin.
There were so many times in JS1 that I felt like giving up and going back home, but I pushed through with the support from friends and family, and I am so glad I did. JS1 also had its challenges. Class exercises and assessments were a whole different ball game. Meeting deadlines for assignments and projects was also quite difficult, but I eventually got the hang of it.
Then came the second year of junior school, JS 2, which wasn’t as rosy as I expected it to be, but the rockiest of them all. My cleanliness had obviously increased significantly, and I could not help but become a clean freak afterwards. The bulk of the work of junior school was taught in JS2, and I cannot lie; it served as one of the saddest times of my junior school year. A lot of things were not just going as smoothly as they once were, but thankfully, I was way more used to them.
In the third and final year of junior school, JS3 came around faster than anyone would have imagined, and it came as much of a shocker. The term started well for most students, while for some others like me, it is best not to speak about it. Our first Mock exam, which doubled as our “End of Term” exams for the first term, hit us all, mainly me, like a slap on the face as we were shuffled up in various classes with various people cut across all the four classes with our bodies glued to our designated seats for more than two hours trying to figure out answers to questions we have no clue whatsoever about. After our second Mock exam, which doubled as our “End of Term” exam for the second term, was way better than the first, and I could not help but imagine myself in an Economics class trying to understand the words that Mr. Ayakaa would spit out of his mouth without getting confused.
The famous BECE exam came around, and I returned to my usual hiding spot, the library, where I was known for stressing and overstressing even for the slightest of assessments. The BECE exam proved to be better than both the Mock’s, and I was personally so happy about that, leaving subjects like French, Agricultural Science, Music and the like and moving on to Economics, Photography and a lot more.
I am pleased to say that my junior school experience was rocky but good preparation for senior school; thus, it was worthwhile. Above all, I am exceedingly pleased that I am halfway through my stay at the Heights, the cradle of Hope Reborn!
Muhhabbah Oluwaforejimi EDU
Class of 2027