Without a doubt, high school was an amazing chapter of my life that holds so many special memories that will last forever. In many ways, high school was a much simpler, less stressful time than college, which I'm sure we all miss at least a little. It's always fun to look back at the great memories we've made in high school, but there are definitely things that we can look back at and be thankful that we never have to do again. There are so many reasons why we miss high school, but there are also some reasons why we don't.

1. Gym class

As an extremely non-athletic person, I could not be happier about not having to go to gym class anymore. Having to show off my lack of coordination to my peers three days a week was definitely one of the low points of high school. But nothing is worse than getting all sweaty during gym class and then having to sit through 4 more classes afterward. In college, going to the gym is 100% optional, for which I am eternally grateful.

2. Early Mornings and Long Days

We’ve all felt the pain of struggling to get up for an eight o’clock lecture, but it’s not even comparable to having to wake up at the crack of dawn to sit through seven straight hours of classes. I have no idea how I once maintained an attention span for seven hours. Luckily, we no longer have to do this in college. We can decide when to have classes and create a schedule that works for us (which for me includes little to no early morning classes). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to myself “I can stay up as late as a want watching Netflix tonight- I don’t have class until 4 o'clock tomorrow!”. It’s a beautiful thing.

3. Having to ask to leave class

Between bathroom passes, hall passes, nurse passes, etc., we start to feel like we’re in preschool instead of high school. I mean, I understand that the school has to have us accounted for at all times, but seriously I just need to go to the bathroom and I’d rather not have to share that fact with the entire class! The beauty about college is that professors really don’t care if you leave class to take a use the restroom or grab a drink. They really don’t even care whether you come back or not. It’s your grade, not theirs!

4. Dress Codes

The days of being chastised for wearing a spaghetti strap tank top are over. No longer will you be sent to the principal’s office for wearing shorts that don’t meet your fingertips or for wearing a baseball cap. You can also wear a bandana without being accused of being a gang member. College is great!

5. Cliques and Judgement

It’s no secret that every high school has cliques, and whether you want to admit it or not, they suck. High school is notorious for the stigmatization of individuals based on looks, interests, sexuality, knowledge, and so many other absolutely ridiculous indicators. Of course social groups still exist in college, but people are much more accepting. It's so much easier to be whoever you want when you're not being judged by immature teenagers. You do you!

6. Having to take useless classes

Getting to pick the classes you take is such a blessing in college. There may be certain requirements that you have to fulfill, and there certainly will be a few classes that you are obligated to take, but there is still more freedom in class choice than there was in high school. It’s great being able to take classes that are interesting to you And have to do with your major.

7. Needing a Parents Permission To Leave School

In high school, theres no chance that you're leaving the building without a parents permission. And lets be honest, the number of times we've said "I want to go home" during our high school career is too high to count. The beauty of college is that if you’re legitimately feeling ill, it’s okay to leave your class a few minutes early, go back to your dorm, and get the class notes later from someone else. You have the freedom to make that choice, and it feels good to be able to call the shots!

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Moral of the story, high school may have been less stressful than college, but there are so many things about high school that we can kiss goodbye for good. If you ever feel like you're missing the "good old high school days", just refer to this list to see just how much better college is than high school.