While many of us graduated high school and swore to never look back, let me just say that I am not one of those people. No, it wasn't always the best of times. But times were simpler, fun and for the most part (for me, anyway) worry-free. I didn't recognize it then, but a year and a half of college life has made me see the truth. High school was where it was at, and I miss it. Here are 11 reasons why:

1. Codependency

I didn't have a car in high school, and my mom worked, so I was always waiting for her to come pick me up from whatever: school, a club meeting, a chorus rehearsal. That was probably my favorite part of the day because I could just sit on the sidewalk and do my homework, read a book and just enjoy some nice solitude after a busy day. I definitely enjoyed my solitude at home too, but this was a special kind of solitude. Here at school I'm (mostly) independent and I have to rely on myself for getting around, paying for my own meals (outside of my meal plan), and buying my own clothes. At home I didn't have to worry about those things, and I miss that.

2. Extracurriculars

Oh boy. I'd definitely say I was more involved in high school than I am now. I was a chorus kid for all four years in high school, which meant long rehearsals, lengthy multi-night performances and long field trips. (Gosh, do I miss those field trips!) And every spring when the chorus would plan its spring show, I'd be on the committee that picked the songs and wrote the script. Freshman year was Book Club and the school musical. Sophomore year became music honor society and Book Club. My junior year, I decided to pick up tennis again after playing it for a season in middle school. Extracurriculars in college, especially athletics, just seem so inaccessible. You can't just try out. I miss how easy it was to be a joiner in high school.

3. The media center

The media center! I loved the media center. There they had books I couldn't always find at my local library, all in one place. Plus, they never charged me late fines unless I held the book past the end of the school year, and for someone who was always accruing library fines, this was the greatest thing ever. Sometimes they'd even leave out free books to take. How neat is that?

4. Stress

I've never been one to stress a lot, but now that I've made it to college I've stressed more over assignments than I ever did in high school. So I didn't finish a Latin worksheet? No biggie, she won't mind if I turn it in a little late. In college there's this mentality that everything has to be perfect, on time and written in blood. Printer problems? Sorry, hard copies only. There's no emailing assignments, unless your professor specifically tells you that you can. Forgot it in your room? It's late. (I was not prepared for that...)

5. Optional exams

I don't know if this is true for every high school, but at mine the policy for final exams was that if we had an A, B, or C in the class and only a certain number of absences, we didn't have to show up for the final exam. This, in my opinion, was pretty great idea. If I didn't have to show up for all of my exams in college, I could have an early break! Score!

6. Yearbooks

One thing we don't have here at UNCA is a yearbook! I miss getting friends and teachers to sign my yearbook every year. I miss looking at all the things that went on that year. I miss looking for myself in group shots and club photos and making fun of the typos that somehow ended up in there. I miss making sure they hadn't misspelled either of my names. For me, the yearbook was proof that I'd been there and had at least participated in something. (Yes, I'm one of those people who needs validation for everything she does...)

7. Planners

I'm pretty sure most schools do this, but they gave out free planners every year to the people that wanted them. Maybe it's weird, but they made me feel like I was somewhat organized and had my crap together, and that's a nice feeling to have (especially when it's free). Now I have to buy mine and it's a lot less fun than knowing you can get a free planner. I could go without a planner, but geez, I'd forget everything if I didn't write it down, and who'd want to do that?

8. Free time

Glorious, glorious free time. Since I'd spend so long waiting for my mom to pick me up, I'd almost always have my homework finished before I got home. Once I got home, the time was all mine, free to do as I pleased. I'd read, catch up on television shows, work on stories I was writing, bake, hang out with my friend. Except for chores, there were very few expectations of me. Here, the pressure is on, and most of my time is spent doing readings for class, taking notes, studying, writing papers, and screaming (on the inside).

9. Living at home

Literally everything. I miss everything about living at home: my bed, my cats, my books, Wi-Fi that actually works, a bathroom I don't have to share with three other people, an actual kitchen, food that isn't constantly upsetting my stomach...the list goes on and on.

10. Friends

This is one of the big things. I miss my friends, especially since none of us ended up at the same school. I miss being able to hang out with them on the weekends or after school. I've never been very good at making new friends and it just makes me appreciate my old ones even more when I'm not seeing them every day. And it's not just friends. I miss seeing familiar faces and people I recognize. I miss my church family. It's just hard to get used to being around new people.

11. My hometown

Familiarity seems to be a common factor in a lot of my reasons, and this one is no different. I miss the familiar sights and sounds of my town. I miss actually knowing my way around. I was born and raised in the same place. I've spent my whole life living in the same place. I've spent summers at my neighborhood pool and nights at the ballpark. But I've come to find a newfound familiarity with my new city after many an afternoon spent exploring the streets of downtown. As it is with many things, it just takes time.