Turning Back Time

December 16, 2023

Diwakar Sharma
Class 8, Bal Bharati Public School, New Delhi

I have learned many lessons during 2023. As both my parents are working and I am busy with my studies, we don’t get to spend much time with each other. If I could change something about the year, it would be to spend more time with my parents, watching movies, chatting and playing board games. Also, my grandmother spends a lot of time watching television. I would have liked to take her out more often and explore the beauty of the world. I would also have liked to take her on a trip that she would enjoy. If I could, I would also like to prevent the war that took place between Palestine and Israel. So many people lost their loved ones during this war. I would like to bring back the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the war.

Tapas Agrawal
Class 8, Billabong High International School, Mumbai

I participated in a mental maths competition that took place in February. During the competition, I managed to solve 105 sums in five minutes. However, another participant solved 130 sums in the same duration and bagged the trophy. I had dreamt of winning the trophy myself. I wish I had practised more so that I could have been the winner of the competition. The event taught me to plan my time better and that preparation is vital to succeeding.

Naveen Vigneswaran Sudha
Class 8, Sujay Public School, Chennai

If I look back at the year 2023 and could go back and change what I did, I would change many things. At the beginning of the year, when I participated in sports competitions and lost, I wouldn’t take the loss sportingly and would often get upset. Over this year, I have improved that aspect of my life. I have learnt to become more patient and perseverant. Another thing I would like to change is my performance in an examination. I scored very good marks in one of the examinations conducted during the year. However, this made me overconfident and I did not focus on my studies for the next examination. My marks were affected and my performance suffered. I wish I would have studied harder and worked on improving my handwriting.

Samaira Law Singh
Class 6, Shiv Nadar School, Noida

If I could change one thing in 2023, I would like to increase understanding and empathy in the world. There is a lot of hatred and division in the world today and I feel it is due to a lack of empathy. People are very quick to criticise and judge each other. People should be ready to listen and understand each other’s points of view. If people in the world were more compassionate, loving and understanding, there would be less conflict, wars and suffering in the world. I wish I could be more empathetic and understanding towards people than I was before. I listen to my friends to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings when they occur. And I do not judge people.

Warren D’mello
Class 5, Don Bosco High School, Mumbai

My younger brother and I love playing together. But sometimes we have disagreements and fight. If I look back at the year and could change something, I would want to reduce the fights and spend that time playing and enjoying with him. From the coming year onwards, we will spend more time playing fun outdoor games and many indoor board games together.

Vansh Sharma
Class 5, Bal Bharati Public School, New Delhi

Reflecting on 2023, I feel there are many things I can change. I realised that I often lack focus, get distracted easily and lack patience, which affects my studies. Given a chance, I would like to change these things about myself so that I can perform better. I could address some of these issues by practising meditation, reading different types of books to enhance my vocabulary and dedicating more time to my studies. Additionally, I would have liked to improve my writing skills by taking practice tests to identify my mistakes and learning from them. Through hard work and creativity, I hope to achieve better grades and success so that I can make my parents proud.