September 1, 2016 in Krasnodar

Polina Ivanchenko, Gymnasium No. 33, Krasnodar

Photo: Personal archive of Polina IvanchenkoPhoto:Personal archive of Polina IvanchenkoWhat was your September 1st in 2006 like?My first of September was quite strange, because I didn’t understand what was happening until the very end of the assembly.The hardest thing about studying is…Probably perseverance and concentration. I’ve always been an overly active child, it’s hard for me to sit and do my homework for a long time.What would you change at school?Everything is fine with us as it is, well, maybe we could make the break where we eat longer – I don’t have time to eat breakfast and return to class in just 10 minutes.Where are you planning to go?I’m choosing between two faculties: economics and law, I like management, administration. I am not sure yet whether I will stay in my hometown or go to a university in another city. What has been the biggest discovery for you in recent years? Probably, it is that in the 10th grade I finally understood that school life can be so interesting and diverse that you do not want to part with it. Our beloved class teacher Olga Aleksandrovna Safonova put a lot of effort into this. But now we have a very friendly class. What events in our country, city have you remembered during this time? Honestly, I have not followed the events in the country, so it is difficult to answer. I am more interested in what is happening around me - with my friends, classmates. We had such wonderful balls, music competitions, holidays and many fun things. What would you wish for today's first-graders? Diligence, patience and, of course, the desire to study and learn something new.

Anastasia Kudryashova, Gymnasium No. 23, Krasnodar

Photo: Personal archive of Anastasia KudryashovaPhoto:Personal archive of Anastasia KudryashovaWhat was your September 1st in 2006 like?I was worried that I wouldn’t like school and that I would have a hard time adapting. Before that, I thought that it was a place of torture and torment. That’s why on my September 1st, I stood in line and read a prayer, asking for it to be a dream.What would you change at school?I would reduce the number of working days and create a new school menu.The hardest thing about studying is… Getting up at 7 am. Anyone would agree with me on that. Sleep is an integral part of our life, so I would like to stretch it out for a long time.Where are you planning to go? To the law faculty, I will apply to Krasnodar universities, because I don’t want to leave my family and friends, and besides, I love our city.What events in our country, city have you remembered during this time?I find it difficult to answer this question. I don't remember much about the events that happened in the city/country during my school years, but I remember all sorts of holidays, competitions, balls in our school very well. What has been the biggest discovery for you in recent years? I'm in the 11th grade! I still can't believe it! There's only 1 year left to study, and then the doors to adulthood open for us.

Yana Vikulenko, secondary school № 18, Primorsko-Akhtarsk

Photo: Personal archive of Yana VikulenkoPhoto:Personal archive of Yana VikulenkoWhat was your September 1st in 2006 like?In kindergarten, I dreamed of growing up and going to school as soon as possible, so September 1st in 2006 was a big holiday for me. Even now I remember how overwhelmed I was with so many emotions! It seemed to me that I was so grown up. In general, I was glowing with happiness. And all our relatives came, rejoiced with me, and I was overwhelmed with importance - I am now a schoolgirl, so many new and interesting things await me ahead: teachers, friends, books, lessons.The hardest thing about studying is...In fact, there is nothing difficult about studying. You just need to sincerely want to gain knowledge, listen carefully to teachers in class and not accumulate "gaps" if suddenly the topic is not clear. True, sometimes you feel lazy to study something, but you shouldn’t give in to it, and then you’ll have new strength to study. What would you change at school? Maybe you’d introduce a few additional clubs and sections: swimming, ballet, football, basketball, a cutting and sewing club. Where are you planning to go? I won’t reveal any secrets yet. What has been the biggest discovery for you in recent years? If we talk about what I remember, then it’s school life. In the 10th grade, two classes merged – our “A” and the parallel “B”. Over the course of that year, we became very close thanks to the fact that we had an active social life, many extracurricular activities, and we all took part in them. We even formed a choir, which included the entire class. Can you imagine? We tried very hard, performed, participated in competitions and won prizes. We also played KVN, made up jokes, dances, and skits ourselves. What events in our country and city did you remember during this time? During my school years, I remember the 2014 Sochi Olympics. My whole family watched the Olympic Games, cheered for our team, and when Russia won, I felt proud of my country. By the way, at that time, our school hosted various events related to the Winter Olympics. What would you wish for today's first-graders? Good grades, patience, and many loyal and devoted friends. May school bring joy and new discoveries.