Since I am the queen of unpopular opinions, I am going to present a new one: I don't miss high school. There are certain parts that of course, I do miss, however; seeing close friends all of the time who now go to college far away, my favorite teachers, and sports. As a whole, I don't think that high school was the place for me. I don't think I'm the only person who feels this way either.
The difference between high school and college is that in high school, the main thing that everyone has in common is that they all live in the same town. That is mostly it. College is much different when you think about it. Students typically choose a particular school because they have common interests, which is something that brings everyone together. For people who have the same major or concentration, it is easy for them to connect to one another because they have similar goals and aspirations.
I don't think that I'm the only one who doesn't miss 'cliques' from high school. I have always been a 'floater,' meaning that I don't define myself as being part of one specific group. In high school, that's difficult, because it seems like you are thrown into being friends with a particular group and become defined as a person by who you hang out with. It is exhausting. In college, it is much easier to be friends with absolutely anyone, without being judged for it. It is without doubt that I have become closer to people I have known for a few months, who have allowed me to be my true self, than people I have known since middle or high school.
Throughout my high school career, I have obviously had teachers who have inspired me and allowed me to grow as a person. As a current sophomore in college, on the other hand, I feel that I have a totally different perspective towards learning than I did a few years ago: I'm actually motivated. In high school, it was hard to actually get myself to study and apply myself at times. Now that I am taking classes that are relevant to my future, I find myself naturally wanting to study, even on weekends. Although in college there are still irrelevant University Core requirements, for the most part, the requirements for a degree are based on the major that you chose. That's extremely important.
Basically, I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy high school because, for the most part, I did. I think that especially when teenagers are going through various changes in their lives and growing up, high school becomes a static environment. At this point in my life, it feels like a distant memory that was a learning experience for me. By allowing myself to expand my horizon in college, I have found myself more than I have as a robotic high school student.