I hated primary school. My most vivid memory was lying on the ground getting kicked in the kidneys by my teacher when I was 8 (I'm 38 now). He's now a school principal. Third and fourth class were the most unhappy time of my life.
A few years ago my son almost died. I remember following the ambulance up to Tallaght hospital and being struck that the grief and panic I felt then, thinking he was probably going to die, was not as bad as how I felt as a child of 8 and 9.
Yep, those weren’t good years.
I hated my first few years in secondary school as well but it wasn’t anything like as bad as 3rd or fourth in primary. I was a bit of a "late bloomer" and generally enjoyed the last two years (or hated them less).
All in all I was delighted to leave. I only started to enjoy learning after I left school and most of the knowledge and skills I have were picked up outside any formal education system. I don’t have any hobbies or interests that originate in anything I did at school.