In college, it seems like we hear the same pessimistic nostalgia about high school—“High school was the worst time of my life,” “I am so glad I am done with high school,” “I would never go back to high school,” and so on. It is true that I would never go back, mostly because I am loving every second of my college life. But, as terrible as high school was at times, I do not regret my high school years at all. The lessons I learned from those four years were some of the most valuable. Here are some reasons why high school was actually a great experience for me, and why I might even miss it.
1. It taught me about self-confidence
Let’s face it—high school students can be very mean. In high school, everyone is at a stage where they’re very insecure and will do anything to make themselves feel better, even if that means making other people feel awful about themselves. There are cliques, “popular” kids, a whole lot of drama, and judging others based on qualities that aren’t important, such as looks and clothes. At my high school, you cannot fit in unless you’re homecoming king or queen, look like you’ve come out of "Seventeen" magazine, dress in Vineyard Vines, or serve as the captain of a sports team. It’s a rough time.
Weirdly enough, however, I am actually really thankful for this competitive environment. Was I the popular prom queen who was invited to all the parties and dated the captain of the football team? Absolutely not. But I realized early on that some people are just very judgmental and mean, and that it really did not matter. It is more important to live in the present and be yourself. It does not matter if who you are is good enough for someone else (pardon the Jimmy Eat World lyrics reference). As a self-conscious and sensitive person, I think I needed to grow up in this environment before I went to college. By the time I left high school, I felt like I had grown as a person and learned to ignore all the negativity. I’m grateful that I go to a college with people who are extremely kind and much more genuine than those I met in high school. But I am still aware that that life is not always going to be glamorous, and I am going to need to push past these moments. Now, if I were to live through high school all over again, it would be the easiest thing ever.
2. I learned life lessons from sports teams
Some of the most important lessons I have learned in my whole life are from the sports in which I participated—particularly the teams in high school. College tends to offer two levels of sports: varsity sports, for athletes to compete against other colleges, and intramural/club sports, for anyone to participate in and try. One can also commit themselves as much as they choose for the latter.
These clubs are fantastic opportunities for athletes, but high school athletic teams fall right in the middle of that spectrum, between varsity and recreational. This struck the perfect balance. High school sports were fantastic. They did not require you to be able to play at a high level to participate, like college varsity teams do, but you were still required to put in a little more time and effort than you have to for intramural sports. Many high school sports teams have tryouts, which are intimidating, but if you’re a serious athlete, these teams teach you to work harder for your goals and to be able to prove yourself.
Varsity sports really taught me how to balance my time between academics and other activities. They provided an opportunity to make friends with people from my high school and other high schools whom I may not have met otherwise. They also taught me about athletics, competition, sportsmanship and the real meaning of hard work and effort. I found my family through sports teams, and I really loved high school as a student athlete.
3. I benefited from constant support systems
In high school, I felt supported. Even though you may have sometimes hated your teachers and classmates, by the end of the four year journey, you feel like you became part of a family at your high school. High school teachers and counselors are amazing—they take a serious effort to get to know you and be there for you. It is easy to schedule meetings with them, and you remain friends with them even after you have had them as teachers.
Also, I was amazed how many people I had to talk to when something was wrong. If you experienced a problem with another student or a clique of people, you could talk to your counselor or teacher, and they could do something to fix it. Teachers and counselors were constantly aware of what was going on between students, and you always felt like they supported you during the hard times. And what about our parents? If you had an issue at school, you could cry on their shoulders and talk to them about any of your problems in the privacy of your own home. I would not have survived high school without the many adults and friends who supported me throughout those years.
4. I had the ability to try everything
I did not realize until halfway through high school that, unless you want to keep them a part of your life, the people you meet in high school will not matter after you graduate. So high school is the time to try anything and everything because your public perception is not going to matter in the long run. You can go out with anyone you want, and by the time you get to college, no one will know your dating history unless you tell them. You can hang out with any group of people you want, and if you hate them, you’ll never have to see them again after high school. You can wear anything you want to school, and if it humiliates you to look back at your freshman year outfits, no one has to know about them.
Early on in high school, I felt like every mistake I made would screw up my reputation for the rest of my time there. Looking back, I am glad I took chances and made mistakes. While I would not necessarily experience them again, I am thankful that I tried every activity, underwent every fashion phase, and hung out with every friend group that I wanted to. These experiences helped me discover what type of person I am.
If there is anything I do regret going through, well, no one knows about it. This spares me from my embarrassment, and instead, I can look back at the experience and laugh. High school may have seemed like the end of the world when it was happening, but it was really just the beginning—it was the perfect opportunity to experience everything you wanted to before facing the real world.
5. I value the milestones high school provided, and the nostalgia I get from looking back
While it is fun to sit with your new college friends and talk about your childhoods, look at old pictures, and dance to old throwback songs, it cannot compare to actually experiencing those moments in high school. High school was full of milestones—drivers’ licenses, school dances, college acceptances, (gulp) first kisses—and even though we may not admit it, we can’t deny how special those moments were. When mom and dad take pictures of us and our friends as we’re about to go to prom and start crying about how it was just yesterday that we were so little—we get a little teary as well.
High school was an experience filled with blood, sweat, and tears—both sad and happy ones, and the happy ones really defined our experiences as teenagers. There are no moments that will ever compare to those when we realized we were growing up--which we were doing alongside our classmates who had been there with us every second of the way.
