Everyone always said “high school years are the best years of your life” and I never actually believed it. When you’re psychically in highschool, everything just seems to suck, but two years later, here I am, telling you that I wish I could go back.
You know what they say, you never appreciate what you have until it’s gone! Well, it’s true. I remember my first day of freshman year as if it were yesterday. I cried, actually. I personally hate change. I knew going to high school meant making new friends, meeting new teachers, getting to classes on time in crowded hallways, and most importantly, who the heck would I sit with at lunch? If you have ever watched Mean Girls, I pictured myself as Cady. I would be the loser who had lunch in the bathroom on the first day. I think I saw one too many movies because everything that I thought high school would be like, didn’t turn out to be like that at all.
I am now a Sophomore at a private liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota, and all I can think about is how much I miss my high school. At Amundsen, everything is handed to you! I know those who are in high school now are thinking, “nope this is definitely hard and I can’t do this”, but truth is you know nothing about what difficult is yet. Sure, the work load can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if you’re in IB or AP, but honestly, I would much rather take that over anything in college any day. When you realize that a whole paycheck will go to your tuition you will cry. When you realize that you actually have to pay for those free books you take for granted now, you’ll regret not reading and taking care of them. Let’s not forget about bills and loans! Bills will creep up on you and you will hate yourself every time you remember swiping your credit/debit card somewhere.
I miss all of the friends I made at Amundsen, even though they weren’t many, their friendships mean a lot to me. In college, you can forget about seeing your friends everyday, you’re lucky if you see them once or twice a week (unless you have similar schedules). During my time at Amundsen, I really did not talk to many people, and I do not regret it. I walked out of there with a handful of great friends who up until today are still my best friends. I miss not being able to go to the library in the morning and hanging out with them. I miss not being able to get a pass during lunch, and just spending time in the library catching up on homework, reading a book, or talking to teachers. Those are things you have to do in college, but I miss having the option.
Remember spirit week? How we all dressed like a bunch of goofs and didn’t care? How about Viking Day, when we showed all of our Viking pride and the hallways just filled up with red, white, grey, and black. I really miss that! Spirit week is not the same in college. Sure, people go all out on some occasions, but not always. The vibes are definitely different. There is no twin day, wacky tacky day, or any of that.
What I mostly miss about being at Amundsen are the teachers, in particular Mrs. Nguyen, Binder, and Mrs. Barillas. During my time there, I got really close to these teachers and I just miss them dearly! Through this article, I want to personally thank them for making my time at Amundsen great. I couldn't thank Mrs. Nguyen enough for all the times she stayed past hours after school to just talk to me and give me advice. Thank you, Binder and Mrs. Barillas for always pushing me to be the best person I can be. There was never room for quitting with you two. I didn't appreaciate it then because I hate getting out of my comfort zone, but now thanks to you, I know I'm capable of more than what I think I can. I wish I had you all as college professors!
At Amundsen, teachers always wanted to speak to you. Their doors were always open for you if you had questions, concerns, or even if you just wanted to talk to someone. That is not exactly the same in college. Don’t get me wrong, there are some professors here who are great, but it’s just not the same! We have these things called “office hours” in which students go to their office to talk, so it’s not really like this I’m going to visit so and so just because. Sometimes, even appointments are needed! I miss being able to have that friendship with my teachers. Professors sometimes don’t even remember your name (if you go to a big public state university), but even at my small college, it happens.
I guess, all I am saying is cherish what you have before it’s gone. I know from experience, how anxious we are to reach prom day and graduation, but trust me they will come and maybe it won’t be what you expected. So just don't sweat it, enjoy the ride because for some of you it will be your last year and you will regret all the times you tried to fast forward time. Cherish your high school years, because you won’t have anything like them again!
Sincerely,
An Amundsen High School Alumni '15
