Recently, I was asked a question that took me off guard. The question was “Do you miss high school?”

My immediate answer was no. I mean, why would I miss a place where class starts at 7:30 in the morning every day?

I do not miss the school lunches, which always seemed to be some form of chicken and a various side. I do not miss being stuck in the parking lot for 30 minutes after school while waiting for all the buses and other cars to exit before I could drive myself home. I especially do not miss having to follow a dress code that does not let me wear a tank top when it is over 90 degrees outside because it shows my shoulders. I understand that there are articles of clothing that I should not wear to school and that there are appropriate outfits for every occasion. But really, what is so bad or distracting about my shoulders? They are shoulders!

At this point in my life, I could never see myself wanting to hop into a time machine and go back to the days when I was in high school. In college, I get to make up own schedule and I have a wide variety of classes that I can take. I also have various dining halls and places to get food. I can even wear whatever I want to class. When it is hot outside no one seems to have a problem if I am wearing shorts and a tank top.

After thinking about all the aspects of high school that I did not necessarily enjoy, I realized that my feelings toward these the aspects do not define how I feel about my overall high school experience.

I made a lot of good memories, met a lot of great people, and had a lot of great experiences in high school. I appreciate the valuable lessons that I learned and the people that helped me learn them. I miss my friends and the people that were important to me during those four years. I also am thankful for the teachers, instructors, and adults that inspired me and pushed me to a better version of myself.

In high school, I accomplished a lot of different things and worked really hard. I will never forget the important lessons that I learned and the great memories that I made. Whenever I look at my high school graduation photos I feel happy and proud of what I achieved during those four years.

There are important journeys and bridges to cross in life, and I do not intend on going backward. I love being in college and finding new opportunities to grow every day.

So my answer to the question, “Do you miss high school?” is still no. But without my high school experiences, I would not be the person I am today and I glad that my four years there put me on a path to a bright future.