What were you like at school?

I was the shy quiet one, always sat the back of the classroom trying hard not to be noticed by anyone as I was a very good target for the bullies (think braces and very bad acne - not a good combination in the 80's). I didn't come out of my shell until I joined the army when I was 17, in fact my mum always says that I was different person when I come home on my first 48 hrs leave pass.

Completely lacking in confidence would probably sum me up. I was painfully shy and definitely not in the popular crowd.

I was also what people would have described as a swot, I loved science subjects and history.

I'm a completely different person personality wise that I was at school, when I finished I discovered my confidence, I am now very bubbly and outgoing. I have a job which is very people facing, which is something I could have never imagined myself doing at school. I think most of the sciency/mathsy type people I knew at school didn't seem to fit in very well, but I still know many of them and just like me they found themselves after school and are definitely more of an outgoing crowd now.

I was fairly popular, not in the most pouplar group but I'd say the next one down. We were a group of girls not to be messed with. We all came from council estates & separated parents so we weren't a walk over that's for sure. If someone in our year, or one of our siblings years had trouble we'd be there to sort it out. We were like a sisterhood ?

In years 8 & 9 my best friend and I used to bunk off school, go to the local town and steal clothes to then sell on in the playground the next day. This is how we earnt our money to go out clubbing at weekends. We smoked, we drank and we had older boyfriends. I was the first to lose my virginity and actually recall sitting on the school field telling everyone what it was like ?

By year 10 I settled down and started to concentrate on my studies. I sat my GCSE's then left and only speak to one girl from school now.

A bit of a wall-flower, a bit of a slacker. Wasn't in the in-crowd, but was ignored by them too, rather than bullied by them. For the most of my school days I was part of a group of like minded outcasts, until the sixth form, where I was cast out by the outcasts, and bullied by them rather than by the in-crowd.

Selectively studious - was on the school geography quiz team, bridge team, top of the class in subjects I liked, steady Bs in subjects I couldn't be bothered with. I was never very good at working hard at everything. A bit of a smart-arse in subjects i could do without trying (maths, physics). Pegged for Oxbridge at the start, annoyed the school but not even trying for either.

Middlingly sporty - was on the school swimming team, rounders team, one of the top sprinters in the year until it got to the point where I would have to work and train at it, and then I couldn't be bothered ? but nowhere near in the main stream sports of hockey, netball and tennis.

Desperately scared of getting in trouble. The thought of a detention terrified me.

Studious at things that interested me - languages, history, some science. Got into the University I wanted to easily

Alternative - into metal/heavy rock when everyone else was into Take That.

I wasn't in the popular crowd but they left me alone as I didn't give a damn what anyone thought of me!

I adored school and was devastated to leave

Academic but not a boffin, got on with most people except the popular group because i stood up for myself and the 'leader' was not amused ?

Had an issue with being bullied and it transpired the girls didn't like me because I could get on with my work and talk at the same time. The rest of the girls went along with them because that's what they did, think I hated those girls the most. The tag alongs.

Got on with a lot of the boys, boys are easier to get along with in general I think. I was hideous, gappy teeth, chubby, not my finest years. I was in a few of the sports teams though. I guess I was an inbetweener.

I was in what could be called the popular/cool crowd. A bit rebellious and gobby but managed to get good grades and not get into too much trouble.

I've recently been meeting up with about 15 friends from school who I hadn't seen for 20 years, and we have had an absolute blast each time we've been out. No one has changed really, and even though some have kids, we're all as immature as we ever were. ?

Quiet with specs and pretty bad spots. I didn't have many friends and wasn't overly convinced that the group of friends I did have liked me that much any way. I didn't really like school, the lessons were fine but at lunchtimes etc I didn't feel as though I fitted in. It got even worse in sixth form as because my birthday is in August I was virtually the youngest in the year and didn't get my driving licence when the others did. This meant that whilst they all drove to school and came and went as and when they wanted I still had to catch the bus and was stuck out there all day, lessons or not. None of them ever offered me a lift either!

All in all I was pretty glad to get out of there and have never been back since! ?

That pretty much sounds like me.

I'm really excited about next year's reunion. It'll be the 25th anniversary of when we left (bloody hell!) and I haven't seen most of those people since the day we left!

Clever but lazy. Was forever borrowing people's homework and quickly scribbling something out in registration because I hadn't done my own. Always got away with it though and always had glowing school reports. Reasonably popular from about year 9/10 onwards, there was a group of about 10 of us who all hung out together. Until then I struggled to make any proper friends and used to always be slightly on the outside of things. We were reasonably 'cool' as well, especially when we were all out clubbing on a school night. Although throwing up with a hangover half an hour before one of my GCSEs probably wasn't one of my better moments ?

I was neither popular or unpopular I think (bit like me on here really (well on BT)) although for a couple of selective years I was bullied very badly by two different groups as I was an easy target (highly emotive and easy to wind up). I grew some balls pretty quick though in time for 6th form where I had a whale of a time.

Academic wise I was in the top class of the year, but although I got excellent GCSEs, my A Levels were average, my degree was just ok. I think my intellect stopped improving and developing at some point ?

I was not in the really popular crowd but not unpopular either. I used to hang around mainly with a group of six and still in contact with most of these same people now. I used to be the first out of this group to smoke, drink, have a boyfriend and probably corrupted them a little bit as most of them were very clever with strict parents! I lived in a pub at the time so could readily provide fags and alcohol if needed ?. I used to love english, history , RE (!) and languages and hate maths and science.

I was never in real trouble at school and never truanted, if i wanted a day off, i'd just tell my mum i was sick . I do remeber being told off once in class by my CDT teacher for chatting though and she said that I needed a brain transplant - nice!

I wasn't particularly clever but my mum always said I was a hard worker so I managed to walk away from school with good grades for me that saw me into sixth form. I was probably more popular at sixth form as used to be one of those that went out drinking every weekend, it was great fun!

A bit of a wall-flower, a bit of a slacker. Wasn't in the in-crowd, but was ignored by them too, rather than bullied by them. For the most of my school days I was part of a group of like minded outcasts, until the sixth form, where I was cast out by the outcasts, and bullied by them rather than by the in-crowd left the outcasts and became a freaky loner

Selectively studious - was on the school geography quiz team, bridge team, top of the class in subjects I liked, steady Bs in subjects I couldn't be bothered with. I was never very good at working hard at everything. A bit of a smart-arse in subjects i could do without trying (maths, physics, chemistry, biology). Pegged for Oxbridge Medical School (Kings or Barts) at the start, annoyed the school but not even trying for either.

Middlingly sporty - was on the school swimming rugby team, rounders team, one of the top sprinters hurdlers in the year until it got to the point where I would have to work and train at it, and then I couldn't be bothered ? but nowhere near in the main stream sports of hockey, netball and tennis and cricket.

Desperately scared of getting in trouble. The thought of a detention terrified me.

Just seemed easier to edit rather than write from scratch. ?

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THe sports thing was embarrassing for me. In the 1st year I was the fastest in the form over 200m, so was automatically put forward to represent the form in sports day, against the rest of the lower school (1st and 2nd years). Came a respectable 2nd. Similarly, in the the 2nd year, still fastest, competed in sports day, came 2nd again. Come the third year I was once again fastest in my form, so was put forward for sports day, yet again. Now I would be competing against 3rd and 4th years (years 9 and 10?) Never did any special training, was never in the athletics club, never went running outside PE lessons. Got to sports day and realised that everyone else I was running against was running in school team colours, and I was in my normal PE kit. They all had running spikes, I was wearing dunlop green flash. I came so hideously last it wasn't funny. My form must have been a bunch of slackers, if I was still the fastest. I opted out of sports day after that ?

I really did not like school one iota. My school was in a rather nice area, yet I was bussed in from a nearby town, which is as rough as a bear's arse. This, and my accent, meant that I stood out from day one, and received quite a bit of stick for it. My mum was poor, and it was a real make-do situation, but it was tough when all the girls brought their PE kits in using new Oasis or River Island carriers (do you remember how much the carrier bag maketh the person at school???). When I was about 12/3, I got heavily into grunge and indie, and you know how dangerous it is to be 'different' at school. I did have friends - not loads - but I never felt like I really fitted in, and would often slope off by myself at lunchtime to sit by myself in the changing rooms with my lunch and a book/walkman. On days when I felt like being with other people, I was a bit loud and full of beans, even though I felt like crap inside. In hindsight, I think I had some form of depression, as there were some horrid things going on at home.

I was hard-working at school, and achieved top grades easily. Given that I was the girl from the rough town, I don't think my peers liked the fact I trounced them, academically. Just gave the tw*ts another stick to beat me with. As soon as I got my A-Levels, I went to uni, and I have never returned back to my home area. I'm only in touch with one girl from school, who is my ultimate BFF and I love her dearly. The rest could pretty much burn for all I care. It's for such reasons I hate FB so much - all the nasty nobbers crawl out of the woodwork, affected by rose-tinted glasses and selective amnesia.

Every year the hurdles (and my classmates) kept getting taller.

I didn't.

So I pulled out of everything except the tug-of-war, anchoring the team to victory in an unprecedented four straight years.

And then there's the year I was made to represent the house in the 100m butterfly . . . ?

Not good! I was skinny with bad teeth, awful hair and an acne problem, plus I never had the right trainers or the right clothes. I was into metal and the alternative scene and never associated with the people who liked trendy music. I was bullied by the boys, and by some of the popular girls as a way of getting favour with the boys, but I wasn't interested in them anyway. I hung around with my goth/metal friends and kept myself to myself.

When I got to university it was a whole different story. I suddenly had a bubbly, friendly personality and was very popular and outgoing. Friends from uni couldn't believe I'd been painfully shy and picked on at school. My schooldays were the worst of my life, whereas I never wanted uni to end- I still miss it now- thank goodness for Facebook!

I was a bit strange when i was at school, i didn't really fit into a particular group i was neither popular or unpopular. I wasn't bullied even though as i was over weight you'd have thought i would have been. I got on with most people but didn't really have any best friends as such and i don't really keep in touch with anyone from my year at school. I do however have a best friend who was in my sisters year who i know through my sister and we (her H and my H) get together regularly either as couples or the boys do things and we do things.

I enjoyed primary school, but by the end of high school i'd had enough of studying, i got decent grades in my GCSEs but decided that rather than doing A Levels and going to Uni i'd rather get a job so i did a Modern Apprenticeship and i've never looked back. Even now i don't regret not going to Uni. Some of the friends that i've recently been in touch with via FB have only recently left Uni and now have huge debts and no jobs. I enjoy my job 99% of the time, the pay is quite good for the work that i do, i have a lovely house and a great H and i just feel as though i had a bit of a head start over the friends of mine that went to Uni.

Someone tried to organise a school reunion from my year at school just before Christmas since we've now been left for 10 years but because it was so close to christmas i was busy and couldn't go.

Geeky, painfully shy, bad teeth and really skinny. I didn't hate school but my school days are far from the best days of my life. I didn't really fit into any group, I had a group of friends but we were very much the odd ones out who didn't fit in anywhere.

I was very swotty in year 7 but soon learnt that clever kids aren't popular kids and I didn't have the confidence to just be who I was. This makes me really sad and I hope that any children of mine have the confidence to be who they are and not be ashamed to be high achievers. I've done well for myself in the end but it took a long time to gain the confidence to realise that there's nothing wrong with academic intelligence.

I wasn't really bullied, although there were the odd hurtful comments about my skinniness and teeth. I was "lucky" in the sense that one of the most popular girls in school lived across the road from me and we'd been childhood best friends. Although we weren't that friendly at school this childhood friendship seemed to protect me from the bullies (she was one of the ringleaders and made many other people's lives miserable).

At sixth form college things changed hugely and all of a sudden I found myself with a boyfriend, loads of friends and a desire to do well academically. I loved college and things have just improved from there onwards. On the inside though I often still feel like that geeky, awkward teenager and wonder how on earth I made it to where I am without being found out.

Decent amount of mates - friends with the 'in' crowd but didn't always choose to hang out with them. Very confident, vocal and opinionated - you know if you'd annoyed me. I think some people may have been scared of me (the girls from school I'm still friends with jokingly say I was a bully - I don't think I was but I didn't let people get away with pissing me off to the point that I'd pull apart 'proper' bullies if I caught them in action). Bit of a joker not overly ambitious (could certainly have learned a lot more than I did) and sporty.

I was horrible - gobby and disruptive, I was a real tomboy and used to sit at the back of the class with the lads and mess around, say I needed to go to the toilet every ten minutes, never did any homework, was in detention every lunchtime. I had a couple of female friends but me and my best friend were inseperable - popular crowd were scared of me (well, mainly of her) and therefore left us alone, the outsiders were also scared of us (her) so did the same. I bunked off, shoplifted, smoked on school grounds, wore non-regulation trousers, never wore a tie or a blazer, shirt untucked, make-up, jewellery and trainers, I also used to wear a vest top underneath my shirt so as soon as I walked out of the school gates I would light a cigarette knowing they couldn't stop me.

How my teachers managed to restrain themselves from hitting/murdering me is a mystery.

School was an extrenely miserable time. I'd been bullied at junior school (by both kids and my teacher who thretened me with a softball bat) from when I was about 7 so when I got to secondary school I was extremely unhappy. I was the one that nobody liked for no aparent reason. I had a few friends but spent the majority of my time either alone or being bullied. I failed my gcse's (so much for being in mensa) so resat, failed my a's so left school and went to college. The best thing that happened to me was going to uni - I finally escaped my hometown and then was diagnosed with depression which I had probably suffered from right the way through secondary school and maybe even in juniors.

I don't know why people say your childhood are the best days of your life - from what many people say it's quite obviously not true.

I came from a very small country catholic school with 10 people in the class to the massive comprehensive at the end of the road with 200 kids in the year, I was petrified to say the least and painfully shy from the start. At 11 I looked about 16 so got a lot of stick from boys (that I like you so I'll be mean to you thing) all I wanted to do was blend in and remain unoticed. Bright and lazy and was totally bored in lessons and uninspired by learning until I scraped into uni and did really well.

My only outlet was music, was very geeky and played/sang in every school group there was, got into the county youth orchestra, the national youth orch of GB, not that the school were bothered, only sports mattered there! Wish I ignored my parents and went for music not law I might even be employed now!

Friends with the 'middle of the road crowd' - not super cool, but not dorky either.

Quiet and reasonably studious.

Junior school I loved, had lots of good friends. Senior school I wasn't keen on. I wasn't as posh or rich as some of the people who went there and I obviously wasn't cool enough for them. So I was bullied which wasn't good and I was always forgetful which didn't help my school work. Although saying that I did have a few good friends ?