How to know if my film actually caught onto my camera?

I use a nikon fm10 film camera for my black and white photo class. I was doing my photo assignment and my film went all the way to 36 and kept letting me take pictures. I had a roll of 24.So after it got to the last number on the amount of pictures dial, I rewound it. It didn't have the normal tension film should have when rewinding, but it rewound anyways. Did my film actually catch on when I loaded it? Or are none of my pictures going to come out? I'd like to know if this has happened to anyone.

Whatever happens, it's done now.

When you load a fresh film, make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions - then comes the clever bit.

As you wind on, watch the rewind crank, it should turn. If it doesn't, open the back and try again.

Chances are that the film never caught. If you're careful, you can uncap the film canister in a darkroom, pull out the leader strip, recap and try again. Worst case, you double expose, but at least the film wasn't completely wasted without a shot to show for it.

Not sure about your particular camera, but on some models the rewinding lever moves when the film is advanced, giving you a visual indication of things going as planned. Don't forget to ask your teacher for help if you're not sure you loaded improperly (or if you need help rescuing the film using the method above).