I could make an endless list of the things I didn’t like about being in high school. Curfews, geometry, drama, standardized testing, boys...the list goes on and on and on. But as I was sitting in the library pulling my first all-nighter, drowning in midterms, lab reports, essays, and my tears, I began to think back to high school and reminisce on the little things I actually miss about it.
1. The easy workload. Looking back at the quizzes and homework I stressed over, I actually laugh out loud. I remember the dread and fear I had when I was assigned my first paper (look out people, a whole THREE pages), and I remember staying up countless hours studying for tests that were worth no more than ten percent of my grade. Since starting college, I have had to tackle things that made my hardest work in high school look like the ABCs.
2. A consistent schedule. Having to be at school by eight o’clock everyday was not fun. But having class at nine one day and two the next is a recipe for a funky sleeping schedule, not to mention that bio lab that doesn’t end until nine o'clock at night. At least in high school you were always finished by three o’clock and had a whole evening for all of your extra curriculars, homework, and hang out time.
3. Sports. Whether you were on a sports team or were in the stands supporting, sports were a huge part of high school. Being on a team made you feel like you were apart of something important and you probably made some life-long friends. You bonded over your biggest wins and losses, long practices, and your love/hate relationship with your coaches. Plus, cheering on your BFF or the cute boy you were crushing on at the time was a lot more fun than cheering on a D1 athlete who you’ve probably never even seen on campus.
4. Pep rallies and spirit week. Nothing gets you pumped up to play your rival school than a week filled with outrageous costumes, banners/signs, and your school colors. Not to mention you used enough glitter and paint that you still found it in your hair a year later.
5. Lunchtime. In college, you barely have time to grab a to-go box from the dining hall, let alone have a sit down meal with your best buds. In high school, you could find us crammed around our reserved table in the court yard everyday, bonding over crispitos and daily gossip.
6. Teachers. Though we love to hate them, our teachers were some of the most influential people around us in high school. Whether they were cracking jokes and making you laugh, assigning difficult projects that tested your intelligence, or writing you bomb letters of recommendation, they pushed and supported you and genuinely cared about your future. Something you don’t often see in college professors.
7. Prom Season. From prom proposals to dress shopping to group photoshoots, prom season was the holiday season of the school year. The actual prom might not have been the best night of your life like you expected. But the before and after prom activities made it all the more fun.
8. After-school adventures. The best part of the school day started when the dismissal bell rang. Driving around blasting your favorite song, raiding your best friend’s kitchen, or spending time with your current beau were perfect excuses for putting off your homework until the last possible minute.
9. How insignificant our worries were. We didn’t have student loans, internships, midterms, or demanding jobs. We worried about who we were taking to homecoming, if our parents were going to ground us for missing curfew, or what was on the lunch menu for that day.
10. Seeing my friends every day. I remember countless people telling us we wouldn’t keep the friends we had in high school. Though that was a little exaggerated, I can confidently say that it is very difficult to keep in touch and maintain friendships after graduation. We got jobs, went to college, and all have completely different schedules. We took for granted all of the countless hours we spent doing the little things that made high school fun and memorable. Though I love college and would not repeat high school if you paid me, we started to grow up in high school, and we got to do it together.
