In high school, my graduating class was nearing 1,000 students, and the classes that followed us only grew in size. Attending a large high school has some noticeable qualities that we can all relate to.
1. Extreme skill of navigating through large crowds
When you have a seven-minute passing-period to get from one end of the building to another, you develop a talent of bobbing and weaving in and out of the slow-moving stampede in a cramped hallway.
2. Speed-walking
Along with the navigation of crowds, the worst part of passing-period was being stuck behind the slow movers who apparently could not care less if they made it to class or not. Developing a speed-walk was more than necessary.
3. Not knowing everyone in your class
One would think that by senior year, there would not be people you did not recognize in your classes. However, it happens all the time.
4. The parking spot lottery
The uncertainty that you may be a senior riding the bus because there are not enough parking spots for all of us to fit is frightening.
5. Road rage in the parking lot
Trying to shuffle the cars and buses out at the end of the day was the biggest disaster. We needed traffic directors and even then my day usually ended with me screaming in my car because we never seemed to be moving.
6. Tiny lockers
In order for everyone to have a locker they needed to be tiny, and sometimes carrying all your books was just easier.
7. Multiple middle schools
Three middle schools combined into my high school. There was a barrage of new faces freshman year.
8.Cliques
With that many students it is impossible to be friends with everyone.
9. Multiple lunch times
Not everyone could fit in the cafeteria at the same time so it was a gamble between the four different possible lunch hours. You just prayed you would have at least one friend with you, I mean how hard could it be? There has to be one friend out of the 4,000 students!
10. End of the day scramble
The sprint out of the building at the end of the day was terrifying. Everyone rushing to their cars to beat the traffic is understandable, but that many people running around was more chaotic than sane.
11. Football games are packed
The team could lose every game and the stands would still fill up.
12. Dances could not be at school
Too many people, so let's rent a full venue.
13. Graduation too
Graduation had to be held at a hotel to accommodate the amount of students and families.
14. Graduation confusion
Thoughts during graduation consist of, “Who is that?,” “They still go here?,” “I don’t know them,” and “I don’t recognize that name." This mixed in with random cheering for the people you do know.
15. Obligated hellos
Even after graduation, and although you were not friends in high school, there is still the obligated, “Hi, how are you? What have you been up to?,” even though both of you are well aware you do not know each other's first names.
16. You always know someone
Every time I leave my house there is a good chance I will run into at least one person from high school.
17. College size
If you went to a smaller college, there is a good chance it is similar in size to your high school.
18. Small high school students
People from smaller high schools are always shocked when you say your graduating class size, and you are just as shocked when they say theirs was 150.
19. Confusion from the small school students
They also cannot grasp the idea that everyone in your class was not friends.
20. Common bond
Although everyone is unique, we all share the bond of the synonymous happenings of a large high school.
