It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. High school is a milestone all of us experience in our lives, but some of us went to a school that was basically the size of a small college campus. If you went to a smaller high school, I'm sure you had a great experience as well. But frankly, you would lose your mind in a school this big...we already have. If you went to a high school that was the equivalent to a small city, then you can definitely relate.
1. Passing periods. Let's get this out of the way first because it is still probably the most prominent memory from high school. Smaller schools probably have the luxury of wandering the halls, enjoying a drink from the water fountain, causally walking, and enjoying the time to catch up with their friends before the next class. In a huge high school, passing periods are savored by the second. You are an expert at dodging people, squeezing between a sweaty cluster of students, going to your locker, entering your combination like you are diffusing a bomb, quickly grab your things, and run/dodge/sprint/fast walk/gallop your way to your next class. You may even get an extra minute depending on which side of the school you are coming from. Passing periods were chaotic, intersections of hallways were packed at all times, and no one wanted to get beat by the bell.
2. The lunch periods were equally as chaotic. This is just something you got used to as time went on. Lines were long and they only let so many people in at a time so that people could choose their food in peace. Everyone piled into one of the two cafeterias (that you were assigned to of course) at your specific time and found the table that you and your friends habitually eat at. But if you do something like slip on pizza grease (speaking from experience) or get into a fight... everyone sees you.
3. Friday night lights. Going to a large high school means humongous sporting events. Dads that graduated 20 years ago still attend the football games and chaperone the school dances. The stands were packed for every home game and you always were in the student section painted up with your friends. Even when it was so cold you couldn't feel your nose, you were surrounded by 2,000 other fans that were cheering on the home team. It was even more fun at rival games because news stations would come out to broadcast the game.
4. You felt safe. Large school means large security measures. You either have police officers or security in the building at all times and they are patrolling all day. If there is a fight, an officer is there in about 1 minute to break it up before it gets bad. They take lock downs seriously and patrol who is coming in and out of the building at all times.
5. You had friends in every class. If you didn't, you made new ones. Everyone knows someone who knows someone else so you may indirectly know that person! Some of your best friends can be made this way, and they can help you with your calculus homework. It's a win-win.
6. Trying out for teams is cut-throat. Big schools have a lot of competition within them. You want to be on the state champion football team? You have to compete with hundreds of other guys for the limited number of available spots on the team. You have to be the best of the best because the competition pool is so large.
7. There was roughly 1,000 kids in your class alone. Subtract dropouts and you end up with like 800. We may or may not have had to move our graduation to, lets say, a pro football stadium downtown. So coming to college and hearing people say they only graduated with 100 people almost had you falling to the floor. "How did you go your entire school career seeing those same exact people year in and year out?! I would lose my mind!" Don't take it personally smaller schools, we are just not used to that type of intimacy with our fellow peers.
8. Diversity. You meet A LOT of different people in school. When you got out into the real world, nothing was really new. You don't see color, you are accepting to any opinions that you may encounter, and individuality is a strong trait that you inherited to set you apart from the crowd. Diversity is one of the best things about your school because it brought you closer together. You met people with different passions, interests, talents, connections, and they introduced you to things you would not have never thought of on your own. This was probably the best trait about your high school. There were so many things to be apart of including student council, national honors society, just say no club, soccer, guard, band choir, theater, debate, Spanish club, physics club, chemistry club, key club, the list goes on forever.
9. You didn't recognize half of the people at graduation. The last time you saw the girl next to you was in 7th grade and the guy next to you looks about 30 and you don't recognize him from anywhere.
10. You wouldn't have had it any other way. If something bad happened to you, it was comforting to know that not EVERYONE in school knows about it, it won't get back to your parents, and your problem seems so small. You'll always remember those who grew up with you amidst the chaos from kindergarten to graduating senior.
