High school. A time of pride as you enter a freshman, exhausted and fed up by the time you enter your senior year. Most people I know either didn't mind high school, actually liked it, or didn't pay attention to how they felt about it. Me, personally, I did not like high school. Whenever I come across one of my high school yearbooks, I cringe a little, and it brings back bad memories. All I can do is remind myself that I am in college now, and I have escaped all the pressure and competitiveness that high school brings.

High school is the time where everyone starts to get competitive with one another. I'd constantly hear about everyone else's achievements, and it started to make me feel like crap. I would always compare myself to others. One day, someone would make the dance team as well as the varsity volleyball team, swim team, poms, and basketball team (ok, small exaggeration, but still), the next day someone else would get accepted into Yale. As I got closer and closer to senior year and graduation, I was sick and tired of hearing the same 5 people's names every single day and how successful and popular they were, sick of being jealous of others lives. We get the point, everyone loves and obsesses over you and loves what you're doing. Enough, already (I'm not putting you guys down, you guys are great). It made me feel as if I was nothing, like I was worthless and haven't accomplished anything. I could never win. You finished the mile in 8 minutes? Someone else finishes it in 6. You got 100 likes on an Instagram post? That girl you sit next to in your English class got 400. You finally got an A on a paper in a tough class? Another student got As on all those papers and graduated as a scholar. There was always that one girl you would secretly envy who was gorgeous, popular, skinny, in a relationship, on the dance team, and smart with a 4.0 GPA. I always felt pressured to be that way and felt that if I wasn't, I was not good enough. That's what happens when you live in a bubble where everyone is wealthy and intelligent. Everyone was constantly trying to outdo one another, and when you're stuck in the same school with the same people for 4 years (some people even since elementary and middle school), it makes you want to rip out your hair in frustration. High school is so small, as you are constantly around the same people, so you are able to hear everything and anything that's going on.

High school was also a difficult time because everyone was so cliquey. Everyone still had their groups from middle school and all groups were final by the end of freshman year. You were stuck with your own clique until graduation, and no one was willing to open up and extend their groups. There were no chances to make new friends. All anyone would want is to join the pretty and popular crowd, but there was no chance of that happening. Most of these people were seriously overrated. I get the point. You look great in your new bikini while you're vacationing in Mexico and everyone thinks you're hot, but enough is enough.

College, on the other hand? I ****ing love it. I really do. Gone are the days of cliques and competition. There are so many more chances to make new friends. College is a blank slate, and you are no longer trapped with some of the irritating, stuck-up, competitive people you grew up with (don't worry, not everyone was that way!). You soon realize that many people are just like you, stuck in the same situation. There are plenty of other people out there who struggle with the same problems as you do. You finally are able to live outside of your bubble and realize that no, not everyone goes on vacation every single break, no, not everyone is stick skinny and perfect, and no, not everyone is constantly being praised for their "daily" achievements. Instead, it's you who ends up surprising yourself and achieving great things. You are able to have fun with new people, and it distracts you from your insecurities. You are so busy with college that you have no time to reflect back on high school. People start to love you for you. Whenever I go home for breaks, I actually look forward to going back to school. There is always someone who is willing to order pizza with me whenever I need it, instead of "Oh no, I'm on a diet, I'm not skinny enough". It's amazing how much college is different and how much happier I am now that I'm away from home.

Whether you loved or hated high school, I'm sure you can agree that high school eventually gets tiring when you are constantly around the same judgmental people who all act the same way. I hope that you discovered what I did in college, and I hope you built many new relationships with people who encourage you and like you for yourself, and are proud of what you can achieve. Goodbye, high school days.