If you have never had that dream where you’re back at your high school or college, wandering the halls trying to find your locker or sitting in Algebra class freaking out because you didn’t study for the test, then you might not be normal!
The back at school dream is in the top three most common dreams that is reported to me… daily! In fact, when I was on Katie Couric’s show last year, she told me her 90 year old mother STILL gets it! And that is good testimony to the fact that 10, 20 even 70 years after we graduate we still find ourselves, from time to time, within those cinder block walls at night.
The reason school is such a popular dream locale throughout our entire life is because the dynamics of the school setting continue on into your job or career and also into your social life. School is where you first learn the importance of being on time and meeting deadlines, it is where you learn how to prepare and “do your homework,” it is where you learn how to deal with scrutiny, how to move on up the ladder, and also how to fit in. Basically, it’s where you learn all your basic job skills and social skills. School dreams are most often connected to your work life and slightly less often connected to your social life.
In my research I have found that there are three very common themes within the school dream genre. Here is what they are and what they mean:
Can’t find your class or locker
– Your locker and your classroom both represent where you should be in your waking life. Back when you were in school, your locker was designated specifically for you; it was your real estate and where you kept everything you needed. Your class is where you were supposed to be at a specific time so it will represent the time factor you are up against in real life. If you dream of not being able to find either or both of these in a dream it is a very good indication you do not feel you are where you should be in your career or perhaps even where you thought you would be at this point in your life. You may not have even found what you want to be yet. None the less, you feel the clock ticking away in the dream and in real life. This dream is letting you know that time is of the essence. Figure out what it is you really want for yourself OR figure out how you can get to that place in your career where you feel you belong.
Not prepared for a test
– Long after we graduate, we continue to be tested thanks to all the difficulties that come with simply being alive. When you get this dream ask yourself how you are being tested in your real life. Start with your job or career first (most school dreams are caused by job pressure) and see if you can connect the dream to how you may be feeling tested at work. Is it evaluation time? Do you have a co-worker or boss who is really testing your patience? Do you have a presentation in front of the board room that you’re stressing about? Do you have to pitch a new idea? What situation are you dealing with right now that is pass or fail? Also, the element of not being prepared is important as it suggests you are NOT feeling ready for this pressure cooker of a situation in real life. At times like these I like to remind myself of advice Donald Trump once gave on his show The Apprentice, “ALWAYS be overly prepared.” In other words, do your homework! (get it? school dreams… homework… ahem) Anyway…
Have to take a whole year all over again/didn’t have enough credits
– This is the one I get the most. Sometimes it’s my senior year, sometimes it’s all four years! This dream happens when you need to prove yourself in real life, when you know you’ve got the skill and experience behind but for various reasons you have to prove it to someone else. The reason this dream is so common for me is due to my line of work, Dream Analyst. I am constantly having to prove to others that dreams DO have meaning, dreams DO provide us with answers and guidance and I DO know how to understand them. So when you get this dream, ask yourself what it is you need to prove you know or what you need to prove you can do. This dream is common when you start a new job or are trying to get a promotion because you are having to prove you can handle the tasks your job entails. And the dream where you find out you don’t have enough credits is most prevalent when you feel you aren’t getting the credit you deserve for what you do know and what you can do. In these cases your dream is reminding you that you’ve totally got this. Don’t worry, you’re an old pro.
No matter what back at school dream you get, remember that you are getting it because you are either dealing with job related stress right now or perhaps pressure from your social circle. Compare the thoughts and emotions you had in your school dream to the thoughts and emotions you have about your job or social situation. See the similarities? There is probably some unpreparedness, uncertainty or even vulnerability that needs to be addressed. There is a lesson to be learned from all of our school dream variations, so sit up straight and pay attention!
Being able to figure out your dreams isn’t just fun, it’s unbelievably helpful to your life!! We all are being given answers, directions, even warnings in our dreams every single night through our dreams… you just have to know how to understand the language and piece it together. It’s really not that hard. That’s why I wrote Dream On It, so YOU can do this too, so that YOU can get those powerful messages hiding in your dreams, so that YOU can improve every area of your life by understanding the wisdom of your very own dreaming mind. Get yourself a copy and start understanding your dreams like never before!
“If you want to know what your dreams mean, you’ve GOT to get Dream On It y’all!” – Steve Harvey, King of Comedy and talk show host
