Why I Hate School: The Pressure, The Pain, and The Path I Found Instead

A brutally honest confession about how school failed me, what it did to my mind, and how I finally found my way back—on my terms. For every student or parent stuck in the system, this is for you.

I Hated School (But I’m Glad I Survived It)

Let’s just get this out:
I hated school. Not because I didn’t want to learn—but because school was the one place where learning died for me.

I’m not here to rant. I’m here to unpack a system that broke me down. And maybe, if you’re feeling lost or suffocated inside a classroom or as a parent, it’ll help you see things clearer.

The Crash Came in 7th Grade

Before that, life was light. I was a kid who liked cartoons, ran around barefoot, and believed the world was kind.
And then came “The School.”

Top-rated. No playground. No joy.
Only tests, tuitions, and trauma wrapped in shiny uniforms.

An empty school desk representing lost childhood

I gained weight. Lost sleep. I stopped feeling like myself. All I could see was fear: fear of marks, fear of comparison, fear of being ‘left behind’.

Nobody Cared What I Was Good At

My English was sharp. My mind loved stories. But in school? That meant nothing.

Because unless you aced Math and Science, you were average.
And if you were average, you got ignored—or worse, bullied by teachers in front of your peers.

I heard this line too many times:

“
“Take more tuitions. Why can’t you score like Sharma Ji’s son?”
”

This wasn’t just pressure. It was quiet punishment for being different.

The Day I Snapped

In 11th, I stopped pretending.

No more chasing marks.
I got into gym, computers, the internet. I tried to find what made me feel alive again.

That’s when a teacher told me:
“You’ll fail if you don’t join my tuition.”

And guess what? I did fail. Not because I didn’t study—but because I didn’t obey.

So I switched schools.
And that’s when life actually began.

What I Learned Outside the Syllabus

Cycling alone taught me more about survival than any classroom ever did.
Starting a side hustle, lifting weights, talking to strangers—those were my real lessons.

The world outside the board exams was messy but meaningful.
Inside school? Everything was memorized, nothing was understood.

“
"You can pass an exam by memory. But life? It only responds to who you really are."
”

School Teaches Compliance, Not Confidence

We’re trained to sit, be silent, follow rules.
But in real life, success often comes from risk, creativity, and being wrong a hundred times.

And no one tells you that failure isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s how you grow a spine.

✅ Here's what I wish someone told me:

Being bad at Math doesn’t mean you’re dumb.

Skipping tuition might actually save your soul.

Your curiosity is more important than your consistency.

Saying “I don’t know” is smarter than faking it.

MBA? More of the Same

Even during MBA interviews, it was all about polished grammar and predictable answers.

Nobody cared about new ideas. They wanted ‘safe’ minds with fluent English.

And I thought: So we’re still faking it, huh? Even here.

That’s when I coined this:

“
MBA = Making Bold Attempts (and learning from each mess)
”

To My Younger Self (Or Any Parent Reading)

If I could go back, I wouldn’t fix my grades.
I’d fix how I saw myself.

And if you’re a parent, here’s what I beg you to understand:

Let your kid fail without fear.
Talk to them about emotions, not just assignments.
Tell them they're more than their result sheet.
Be there when they fall, not just when they win.

Messy school desk showing the chaos of expectations

FAQ: Real Talk

Q: What if I feel like a total loser in school?
A: You’re not. School is a system, not a mirror. You’re allowed to find your pace elsewhere.

Q: My kid hates school. What do I do?
A: Listen. Like, really listen. And open doors outside the system—music, sports, coding, anything that sparks life.

Q: Should we force tuition?
A: Sometimes tuitions help. Sometimes they break kids more. See the root issue before applying the bandage.

Final Thought

School taught me many things. But the real education came after I stopped trying to impress it.

So if you’re reading this feeling stuck, you’re not alone.
You’re just early in figuring out that the system isn’t the destination—it’s just one flawed step on a bigger journey.

Did this resonate with you? Drop a comment below or explore my other raw reflections

If this hit home, share it with a friend still stuck in the system. Your story might be the lifeline they need.

#SchoolSystem #LifeAfterGrades #MentalHealth #IntrovertDiaries #RealTalk