In the UK, we can start to notice signs of autumn around now, and those tiny changes in the air and weather always make me think of stationery, new school uniform and new beginnings. Today, I’ve been trying to remember all the September new beginnings I’ve experienced. Here is my list:
- Starting school for the very first time, probably aged four.
- Going to a new school when we moved house, aged eight.
- Moving up to secondary school (terrifying!), aged 11.
- At 13, turning up at a new school in Kuala Lumpur (my favourite of all my schools).
- Aged 16 minus a few days, starting boarding school in London (my least favourite).
- A year later, beginning home education in Kuala Lumpur to complete my A Levels.
- Another year on, starting at a ‘crammer’ in Cambridge to study for the Cambridge entrance exams. I lived in a ‘bedsit’ – like a studio, I suppose – and cycled around Cambridge to get to my various classes.
- The next year, starting at Newnham College, Cambridge.
- Four years later, launching into the world of real work. My first job was in the Library at King’s College, London.
- Many years on, taking my son to school for his own first day.
- Back to new beginnings for me in 2002 when I went back to university (Anglia Ruskin) to study law. Followed by more September starts for my training contract (2004) and first job as a qualified solicitor (2006).
- Then, secondary school for my son.
- A Master’s degree for me in 2010.
- When my son started college, he drove himself, then later, we had the typical move to uni, decanting the contents of an overstuffed car into an undersized student room.
- And today, we are packing again. My son is off to York for a master’s course, and moving into a flat with his girlfriend. I am preparing to rattle around the house which has been home for the two of us for over 20 years.
That’s a lot of new beginnings in September! Not all of them have felt autumnal, as Malaysia doesn’t really have seasons. But they have all required adjustment and courage in different ways.
In my job as a private English tutor, I am all too aware of the academic year. I always get busier this time of year as students return from holiday and new students seek help. I follow my long-term students as they move up to secondary school or into GCSE preparation. This is the rhythm of my life.
There is always some anxiety, whether you are a student or a parent. As a student, I always found that new stationery helped, and, once I got to university, the excitement of a reading list and a lecture schedule would outweigh any butterflies. Parents, I think, just have to get used to the ebb and flow of the years, celebrate the independence of their offspring and be ready to provide whatever support might be needed. You never really know.
If you are facing a new start this September, or even several, let me know. How does it feel?
