Now that I am heading off to university, I feel it is the best time to tell you all of the classes I
attended while a high school student. I don't mean which high school classes I attended, I am
talking of other ones. Classes I'm not even sure I went to, but which I know were of great help
to me in understanding certain subjects.
I am hesitant to use the term "Secret School," as that was Whitley Strieber's book, which
resembles the classes I am referring to. In it, he describes joining others his own age and going to
secret places in the middle of the night to learn from strange teachers. Mainly the lessons were
about spirituality.
Well, the "classes" I attended weren't focused on spirituality, they were on a variety of subjects.
Everything from advanced math, biology I didn't understand, to human relations. Far more than
not, all I could ever remember was the subject of the lessons (there were a few of us there, but I
don't recognize anyone) and, if I was lucky, maybe one or two details of the lessons, but never
enough to piece more than a fragment or two together.
Not only were the memories vague, but they were very dreamlike to start with. So why haven't I
written these off? The lesser reason is they happen on a frequent basis, often every few days. The
bigger reason is the real-life results gained from the things I learned but forgot.
I remember in calculus class having no idea what a derivative is (it's absolutely key to calculus)
and struggling, trying to understand the textbook. Then I went to night class. All I remember is a
dark room and a voice saying one word:"derivative."Okay, this seems boring, I know, but the
results still amaze me. Every time I have one of these classes, I am able to tackle problems and
understand ideas that before were extremely difficult to me. They go from in my words:"What
the....?" to "Ahh, that's easy!" overnight. Literally!
But school subjects aren't the only things taught: human relations and communication are biggies,
too. I used to be extremely shy. To the point where I would avoid saying anything if I felt even
slightly awkward. But these classes have helped a lot. I'm still shy now, but nowhere near to the
degree I used to be.
From my own experiences, I would have to say they teach you two things: Areas you're already
good at, to make you better, but more often, areas you struggle in to help you reach at least some
understanding. Like with my shyness.
I know one guy who attended something similar to Strieber's "Secret School," but I know there
are more who have attended these ones. I feel there must be thousands of us in North America, if
not more. Most will likely be around my age (17). But no one will admit they had a dream about
classes because that simply wouldn't be very popular among their peers. I will admit that I do,
simply because it's the only reason I'm going into the program at university that I am. I'll be
taking an honors physics program, which I know I normally wouldn't be able to handle. However,
I am relying on the past success of the night classes to help me get through some of the difficult
courses. Don't get me wrong, I would have taken physics anyway, if the night classes never
occurred, but easier courses.
I would love to hear from anyone out there who has had similar experiences. Though odds seem
to be against it, I would absolutely love to meet someone from my own classes. Can you imagine
how awkward that conversation would be? Trying to tell someone you met them in what seems
like a dream? But I'm willing to give that a shot, to get someone else's point of view on what has
happened to them at night in strange classrooms.