Going Back to School

January 31, 2011
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

What are your memories of your school years? Was school a happy place or something to be endured?

It’s been over 30 years since I left school to start a cooking apprenticeship. It seems like a lifetime ago.

The holidays are over or almost over for most students. Do you remember that feeling? I know I do.

School was OK but holidays were just so wonderful. I used to wish that they would never end. Holidays are great no matter how old you are but there’s something magical about school holidays.

Our kids are on holiday at the moment. They head back to school on Wednesday. They have two days of freedom left.

I used to get particularly annoyed by the advertising in the summer holidays. Weeks before the new school year started I’d start seeing back to school signs everywhere. They’d have big signs up in shopping centres, they’d advertise back to school sales on TV and radio and the newspaper would be littered with back to school ads. Then the letterbox would fill up with catalogues full of back to school specials.

I didn’t need reminding that the holidays were rapidly coming to an end.

So how were your school days? Do you wish you could go back and live those times all over again? Can you remember what you thought your life would become after school? Has the reality lived up to what you imagined back then?

I’d love to read your comments.



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Back to School Sales

January 23, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
5 Comments

pencil_sharpeners.jpgI wish I was still at school.

Thirty years ago, when I was going to school, the Back to School Sales were all about exercise books, grey school clothes, crayons, Bata Scouts and pencil cases.

I always hated going shopping in the weeks before school returned because there would be ‘Back to School’ signs hanging everywhere, mocking me, reminding me that my freedom would soon be over.

How things have changed. I see there’s an advertisement in the newspaper today for Back to School Specials which include an eighteen hundred dollar high definition video camera, a laptop computer and widescreen televisions which cost anywhere from two thousand to nine thousand dollars.

I’m not quite sure what the connection to going back to school could possibly be but if that’s the kind of thing you need for school these days I might just have to re-enrol.



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Back to School goes upmarket

January 29, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

pencils.jpgHaven’t times changed?

The Australian school year is just getting underway after several weeks of summer holidays. Everywhere you look there are signs and advertisements for ‘Back to School Sales’.

I remember years ago when the ‘Back to School Sales’ would be all about getting a good price on crayons, coloured pencils, school bags, lunch boxes and the occasional great deal on Bata Scouts.

I was flicking through today’s paper and looking at the back to school deals on offer. While some shops still offer discounted prices on school stationery, I spotted a number of back to school deals on laptop computers and the like.

I guess that computers are becoming more and more a necessity for students but we certainly won’t be shelling out for a $1500 laptop for Emily or James anytime soon.

Our poor kids will have to continue battling on with our old 900 Celeron desktop. It’s several years old but it still seems to do the job …. most of the time.



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