It seems like every time high school is brought up in a conversation, everyone does their best to change the topic and act like those four years never happened. But they did happen, and some of us enjoyed them.

Don’t get me wrong – I love college. I love the flexibility of my schedule and overall day. I love that I can leave campus to get food. I love that I can wear Nike shorts or leggings and tank-tops and the entire male population still manages to focus on their schoolwork instead of my kneecaps and arms. I love how blunt and unapologetic my professors are, and how I can be the same because we’re all adults here. I love the freedom college brings. But that’s also one of the scariest parts.

I’m fortunate enough to live twenty minutes away from where I attend college, and I still get to live at home. To be quiet honest, I wasn’t ready to move out yet and I love that I get to experience college and still come home to my family every day. I wasn’t ready for all of the freedom and responsibility moving out required while all of my friends were. Living at home is great, but it also kind of keeps me in the mindset that I’m still in high school. And that’s okay, until I realize I’m not. Then it gets hard.

High school was great for me. I know most kids can’t say that, and I truly feel bad for those who hated high school with a passion. I loved it so much. GHS gave me four amazing years.

I think part of what made high school amazing for me was that I was involved. I was in Beta Club, Teacher Cadet, and I was an athletic trainer. Those three alone kept me involved and very, very busy. Being an athletic trainer meant I got to interact and participate in many of the sports my high school had to offer without actually being on the team. Let’s face it – I’m terribly clumsy and not athletic at all and there’s no way I could actually make the wrestling team. But I got to be a part of them. I met so many amazing people through the program and that’s definitely one of the reasons I enjoyed high school so much.

By the time we reach our senior year, most people have ventured away from the friends they grew up with. But I’m lucky enough to say that my friends now are the ones I went to elementary school with. Sure, I’ve met other people I consider my friend, but one of the greatest blessings in my life is not growing apart from those I’ve known forever. It certainly makes life easier.

I miss high school because it was easy. I knew the students, the faculty, the administrators. We all pretty much knew each other some way or another. I miss high school because most of my friends are gone for college now and I only get to see them on the weekends, and sure that’s better than not at all but I’ve been spoiled seeing them practically every day since we were five.

I miss the comfort high school brought. I never had to question what to expect. I never didn’t know where to go. I never felt afraid or alone. I miss high school because of the relationships I built with my teachers. In college, you’re with them for a semester and then you’re out of their class and if you pass them in the hall they might not even recognize you. I miss barely having to study or do the work to get a good grade. I miss a lot about high school.

Sure, some aspects of high school sucked, like the food and the dress code and the phone policy and being there for 7-8 hours a day. But for me, the good outweighed the bad. When my last week of high school approached, I was a sobbing mess. I knew how badly I would miss it and I wasn’t even gone yet.

I still miss it, but I enjoy college a lot more than I thought I would, and that’s made it easier. Would I go back and relive those four years? Sure, if I could skip chemistry this time. College is great and full of experiences we all need, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with missing high school.