Understanding Dreams about - Going back to School

In our on-going ‘Understanding Dreams’ series, we discuss the most common dreams and their meanings. So far, we have looked at flying dreams, and running away dreams. This month’s dream theme is going back to school, a common dream among adults.

Unsurprisingly, school dreams can hold valuable lessons for us, just as our real-life school days taught us many things. Our school days are some of the most important in our lives; they are when we learn much about ourselves, and the world around us. It’s during our time in the classroom that we lay the foundations upon which we build our adult lives, so if you’re revisiting your old school, you probably have a lesson that you need to learn, or relearn.

There are many different possible interpretations of school dreams, depending on what is happening in the dream, and also your experiences as a student. Do you have happy memories of your school days, full of friendships and good grades; or do you look back and shudder, glad to be past the days of exams and teenage drama? Your feelings towards your school days have a big impact on what school dreams mean for you personally.

If there is a teacher in your dream, they will probably have a lesson to teach you, so pay attention to what they do or say. Think about your relationship with this teacher while you were a student; were they a positive figure, who acted as a mentor? Or was your relationship more difficult? What subject did they teach? These details will be big clues about what they are trying to tell you.

If the dream is a pleasant one, and you find yourself back in the company of your school friends, feeling carefree and happy, it could mean that you are feeling nostalgic for your childhood. Perhaps you’re dealing with a stressful or difficult situation in your daily life, and you are longing for the days when your biggest worry was homework or following the latest trend. If so, take a look at the stressful situation you are dealing with, and see if you can simplify it in any way.

This could also be a sign that you need to take a break, and have a little fun. Take a day or two off work and do something you enjoy. You could even use the time to catch up with old school friends, and enjoy reminiscing about your childhood.

If the dream has a more negative tone, it could be a message from your subconscious about an issue that you’re struggling with. Maybe you’re running late and simply can’t seem to get to class on time no matter how hard you try; perhaps you’ve not done your homework; or you could be facing an exam that you’re unprepared for. These dreams all have meanings you can’t ignore.

If you’re trying and failing to make it to school on time, it is a sign that you feel like you’re running out of time in real life. Are you up against a work deadline that you’re worried you won’t meet? Or maybe you’re worried about a more personal, hypothetical deadline; perhaps you feel as though you’re not where you’re supposed to be in your life, and you feel as though you’re falling behind.

If you’re struggling to meet a work deadline, speak to your boss, and see if there is anything you can do. Maybe you can have a little more time to complete the project, or perhaps you can enlist some help to get the work done on time? Your boss will appreciate your honesty soon rather than later.

If you’re worried about falling behind in your personal life, take some time to take stock of where you are, and where you want to be. What steps can you take to move in the direction you wish to be in? Writing down your goals, and how you can achieve them, should alieviate some of the anxiety, and help you feel more positive.

If you’ve forgotten your homework in your dream, or you’re sitting an exam that you haven’t studied for, it is a sign that you are feeling unprepared or underqualified for a situation you’re dealing with. Do you have an interview that you feel nervous about? Or maybe you’ve recently got a new job, or been promoted, and are feeling a little overwhelmed?

Another possible meaning of a school dream is more literal; perhaps you are entering a new period of study, and this is reminding you of your school days. Or, if you haven’t already, it could be a message from your subconscious that you have a desire to learn something new. Maybe there’s a skill you’ve always wanted to master, but haven’t ever got round to. Now is the perfect time to give it a try, as your mind is clearly eager for a challenge.