I’ve been watching videos of my batchmates – both funny and sad. It’s funny how even at this point, it still hasn’t struck me that school is really over and by the time holiday season ends, I won’t be among the schoolkids complaining about going back.
My high school experience might differ from other people; after all, no two schools are carbon copies of one another and every person will have their own outtake on high school. Ever since forever though, people have been telling me that my high school years would be the best time of my life and as of now, I couldn’t agree more. Every day, I had my batchmates constantly telling me that out there, I won’t have people who would remind me to study, to perform my ibadah, to constantly pull me back from making big mistakes and I’ve never really taken them seriously. I guess now I have to accept reality, like it or not.
If you ask me how I feel about my high school experience, I’d say unequivocally that I despise it. Every time I say it, my voice automatically takes on a sour tone. But in reality, I have a lot to be thankful for. There are times when I’m extremely cheerful, snickering with my friends, and there are times when I’m exceptionally miserable, and seeing a counsellor was the only option I had. What I did in high school is something I’ll never do again. Even if I could, it would never be the same. Nothing would ever be the same as I thought when Ibu’s car drove off the school grounds for good.
So here is a list of things that I would miss in high school;
The five of us
With these girls, I have certainly experienced both highs and lows, but they’re also the ones I don’t have to talk to every day to connect with. Sometimes, we went through weeks of not having proper conversations yet whenever we do talk, it’s as if time did not pass by at all. I’ll miss Alia who frequently layan-ed my emotional outbursts and who would chat with me for hours at times just to catch up on life, Farah who is usually the one who offers me the greatest advise even if she can’t figure out the solutions for her issues and has forever been a mother to me, Alin who continuously the final to laugh at the jokes but continuously tunes in to everything I have to say, and Nurin who never get tired making everyone giggling with her unendingly senseless jokes and will always encouraging me to go after my dreams. I never figured I would get this kind of friendship from TGS to TGB, plus they never change! Even now, they continue to argue and fight with me over insignificant matters, but these girls have supported me up to this point. There is nothing I dislike about this crowd, and I really will miss being around them. Whenever I’m close to tears or having a fit over my problems, these five would never cease to cheer me up and amuse me.
Students Disciplinary Council 21/22
The main concern I had last year was how I would handle the commitments that would undoubtedly fall on my plate. At first, it was really hard. Having to constantly push yourself to being better, smarter, and more capable. This is unchartered territory that’s meant to be uncomfortable for me. But it’s a unique opportunity to learn. I’m getting used to the idea that being a leader requires a lot of courage to forgive. However, I cannot emphasise enough how crucial it is to apply this consistently in life. There will be days when the actions of other people towards us will really hurt. Hearing rumours about people speaking lowly of you. Anything that makes you feel insignificant, worthless, inadequate, or unimportant. Some people are lucky to be born unbothered, but I am the one who is easily affected by these things. But it’s truly amazing how quickly time flies and how this year has transformed me into a person who doesn’t care what anyone else thinks of me.
If I could talk about LDP, I’m sure I could talk endlessly about my experiences as a LDP. There are times when I go through memories I’d like to keep forever; there are also memories I don’t want to remember at all. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received throughout my time here is something Ibu constantly says on the phone; the hardest part of being a leader is attempting to put yourself in the shoes of your followers, and that itself is one of the wisest things I have heard in my years here. Nothing came easy, but by the day’s end, leadership is never a simple strength to begin with at any rate. In fact, one of the things I’ll miss the most is being a LDP. I will miss the random meetings with MTs, especially those with Umar and Kujoi, who always arrive late. I will miss random jamuan with Meeya and Damia even if it’s just eating ice cream after PGG class. I will miss gossiping with my LDP Khadey, attending weekly block meetings, and making week-after-week reports for teachers reference. And the most tiring weeks of assisting teachers in selecting new LDP candidates for juniors. And of course, I couldn’t have survived the year without my MT friends, my ultimate girls, and the teachers, especially Teacher Asniza!
Damia
One of my biggest regrets in high school is not connecting with Damia earlier. A friend who is always there, always so selfless and ready to envelop me in a hug. Somehow, no matter how bad the day was for me or how miserable I felt in the morning, having breakfast with Damia and talking to her all the way back to the block after night prep would always bring me some sort of comfort. I always enjoy chatting with her and Nurin about gossip haha! I’ll definitely miss everything about her; from her non-stop bebelans and her sweet gestures & her never ending stories about her crush. And Alia, my favourite ball of happiness who never fails to keep us happy when we’re together. This friendship is indeed like no other and I am so, so grateful.
516’s
Sure, it’s one of the most competitive classes, and I’ve had my ups and downs being in the class, but nothing beats the fun we had together and all those sleepless nights we spent finishing our handouts for the sake of carrymarks, praying to God we wouldn’t get scolded by Teacher Arni in the next class. I will miss Amni babbling in class and Deeba always be a mother to all the class members. I will also never forget singing Beribu Sesalan with my classmates every day in class, especially the one led by Nurin and Alyani! I had some of the sweetest memories with this class, and it is definitely a blessing to be able to stay with the same group of people for two whole years.
KA20
We initially started off differently, but due to some technical changes, the four of us were grouped as roommates. Our class was supposed to be in a different block, but they initially accompanied me to Blok Khadijah. I have to admit that we couldn’t spend as much time with each other as we did last year, but I shall never forget all three of their temperaments. My personal favourite memory of these girls will always be the night we spent eating ramen together every weekend! And not forgetting our fifth room member, Aqish! Nevertheless, I never once regretted spending two years with this quartet because they’ve helped me so much, from supplying food whenever I ran out of snacks to teaching difficult sub-topics and finishing our homework together. Fun fact: they know how I look during mengigau!
Blok Khadijah
I still have no idea how I could survive being in Blok Khadijah. At first it was so awkward, since I was transferred to the block as they didn’t have enough LDP to work. I don’t know how to socialize at all! From the rules to the people, each block basically has a different style. But as the time goes by, I fit in really well with them and make new friends along the way. From Aisyah Atas to Khadijah Atas, I think there are many stories that cannot be described. I’m gonna miss bebel-ing every Sunday morning because they always leave the block late and I don’t get to breakfast, and it is always Nasi Lemak for breakfast on my day of duties! It was also through LDP that I learnt to bond with my other friends and, really, it makes the block experience all the more worthwhile when you enjoy the people you’re with. I will miss Ari, she was very understanding yet the best partner of block. I will miss KA16 and KA17!! I couldn’t have survived my high school without them. I’m gonna miss Durra’s tight hugs, messing with Tasha, Diyana’s laughs, teasing Khairin about her boyfriend, Balqis’s questions about everything, having some weighted conversations with Pika, and my everyday question of asking either Farah is in the room or not. I will, without doubt, miss everyone in Khadijah. I am also gonna miss cleaning the toilet with KA21 peeps, became a living alarm for Ain Sufiah for the whole weeks of exam, sweet gestures by 02 girls at study room and all random screaming in the middle of time. The weirdest mix-up of people ever, but it’s true when they say that the unlikeliest people make the best company.
Surau
I think I spent a lot of time at the surau! We complete our ibadah, attend classes, and even sleep in the surau. Surau is very important to me because it brings a lot of peace to my not-so-peaceful life there, haha! To be honest, there are times when I feel like my duties as a student outweigh those of a servant of Allah. Therefore, maintaining dunya and akhirat is always a crucial aspect that I find challenging to achieve. But with all my good friends and faith, thank God I managed it. I will miss going to the fardhu ain session on Friday afternoon with a sleepy face. I will likewise miss those naps I take between Maghrib and Isyak. I’ll also miss teasing my friends in Surau! Actually, I made a great number of friends at Surau, and I enjoy talking to friends because sometimes you just need a place to vent and people to talk to and usually it was friends who I haven’t held any conversations in quite a while, friends who seldom run into one another, friends who tattle a ton! Finally, Surau contains fundamental memories of my friends and me!
Physics class
Who would’ve thought that a class would make the list of things that I’ll miss most? Of course, though, my physics class is unlike any other. I will miss the extra Friday night classes and return to the block late; literally all places are empty, and we will sing together to get rid of the scary atmosphere all the way back. I will miss going to physics class with heaps of books since we just finished the other two science subjects previously, so we have to bring it together. One of the reasons I like physics is that they have the fewest books to carry! It surprises me how far we’ve gone, from daily scoldings to finally making jokes in class. All in all, though, all the teachers in Maktab deserve a shoutout for their non-stop commitment and for believing in us even until the very end. I will truly miss every encouraging word from the teachers before class ends. And that actually holds the key to my continued strength at that school. InshaAllah, He has seen their efforts and will grant them happiness equal to the commitment and sacrifices they have made.
The tgb’s sunset
Be it morning, or evening, the view in Maktab never disappoints. Despite my frequent complaints about the difficulties of attending a boarding school and the poor facilities it provided, I have always found the sight here to be one that captures the attention and heart – of the beholder. It’s quite sad that I no longer have the sunset to enjoy at the end of every bad day after this, but I guess it’s something that I’ll have to make do with.
There may still be things that I forgot to mention, but every little thing that has happened since 2018 will always leave a significant mark in my life. I can’t be thankful enough that I spent my high school years here. Sure, most of the time it’s miserable and the schedule would always be super tight and even post-examination, you’ll always have tonnes of things on your to-do list, but it’ll all be worth it. The people you’re with will make all your tears and misery in high school be worthwhile, inshaAllah. Sometimes, you won’t miss the places, or even the memories. It’s the people that you miss most.
s o y a w r i t e s 