Coming to college from a private high school is a big social adjustment, especially if you go to a big school. It's where you start to see how your version of a normal high school experience was not the same as those that went to public school. A lot of the customs are pretty odd when you think about what private school was like. There are just some things that no one that didn't have a graduating class of less than 60 would ever comprehend. It sometimes feel like it's a different planet socially and like we were in our own little world.
1. Uniforms
The most obvious thing that distinguished private school kids was the dreaded/beloved uniform we had to wear to school every day. For most, it was a plaid skirt that either made you look like you had just walked off the set of Gossip Girl or a plain khaki. Your outfit was never complete without a polo that just did not seem to do anything for your figure. You’ll never forget looking down the halls, seeing everyone in the same thing having to distinguish people by other features. It was like that episode of "Fairly Odd Parents" where everyone is a gray blob. Unfortunately in college, what color polo out of five colors is no longer my only question in the morning.
2. Dress down days
While other schools fought for other prizes during Spirit Week/Battle of the Classes, private school kids fight for a week of dress down days. It’s pretty much unheard of to be able to wear what you wanted to for one day, let alone five. These days were very stressful in the morning and teachers would spend all day saying how we are rowdy or not paying attention as much because our dress down clothes were “distracting” to each other. These days normally ended in being lectured.
3. Unlimited snow days
You get so many more snow days because private school does not have a limit to how many days you get off. With people scattered across different towns, ranging from walking distance to an hour, you get off for even the prediction of a small snowstorm.
4. Your friends live far away
Wanting to hang out took a lot of planning, especially if you don’t have your license. You had to resort to phone calls or video chat when you couldn't get a ride. Most of the time, nobody in your neighborhood went to your school. That one neighborhood that happened to have a lot of your friends from school was the place everyone went to hang out. Meeting at the closest mall to you and your friends was also a go to hang out spot.
5. We’re not all rich
Despite what Gossip Girl depicts, a majority of private school kids are not trust fund babies. A lot of academic or athletic recruits. Yes there are a few Chuck Bass who’s parents run the board and have the athletic field or science lab named after them, but a lot are just scholarship kids.
6. Everyone knows everyone
With having graduating classes of 50, you know not only everyone in your grade and have at least talked to everyone in your school at least once. You have the same teachers over and over again and even the administration that hasn’t had you knows you by name. You know not only everyone but their siblings too that your teacher has probably called you by accident more than once.
7. Teachers gossip as much as (more than) the students
It wasn’t weird to walk into class bombarded by your teacher asking about that guy you were holding hands with in the halls or what you did that weekend. They are sometimes more up to date than you are. That big party (aka your whole grade), yea they knew about it. It was sometimes creepy how much they knew about you, your friends, and your family.
8. Most of the buildings and events aren’t named or sponsored after famous people but people in your grade or alumni
9. Everyone is a Troy Bolton
There are a lot of talented kids, but we were not just the captain of the soccer team, winner of the science fair, and the star of the musical because we wanted to have a crazy hectic schedule, but because there was quite frankly no one else to do it. Looking back we wouldn't trade it for the world having our High School Musical fantasy come alive.
10. There was only one lunch period
When there’s only about 400 in your entire high school, there’s only need for one lunch block during the day. It was so weird to me when I found out that at public school students fight to get the best lunch blocks so they don’t need to eat at 10 a.m. We never even thought to worry about not being able to eat lunch with your friends.
