A majority of people claim that college is going to be the best four years of your life, and yes, they are some pretty amazing years. But in all reality, high school has already been better.

Although college has way more independence, high school has way less responsibility. You have your parents to nag you about assignments and your teachers constantly giving you reminders; at the time you found it annoying, but in college you were looking for those motivators. College has many more tough assignments than high school did, and they are graded harder too. High school assignments were easy to “bullshit,” still get a decent grade on, and manage to pass the class even though you skipped most of the class periods. You also had the opportunity to test your academic limits and challenge yourself via AP or IB/honors classes. The grading system is also standard and makes it possible to receive a 4.0 GPA at least once in your 8 semesters in high school.

The academic part of high school may not be much better than college, but the extracurricular side is something I will never forget. High school gives you the opportunity to participate in most sports no matter your skill level. Everyone can try-out for the sport of their choosing, and hopefully make the cut. There is always room for improvement during your year of high school sports, and always a chance to perform better the next year. This is also an amazing chance to meet some of your best friends, and bond over the love/hate relationship of practices, your coach and activities.

 Friday night lights, the best part of the school year and a great TV show. High school football games is something that everyone looks forward to; from hearing the announcer to watching a team get clobbered, there is something for everyone. If you were a cheerleader, like me, you understand that this is the best time of the year. There is nothing like leading your student section in peppy (and hopefully victorious) chants and dancing along to the wonderful beats of the drum line. Even if your team is the one getting smashed, it is great just to hang out with your friends under those iconic Friday night lights.  

 At the time, high school seemed like one of the worst times in my life; but after walking across the stage at my graduation and receiving that long awaited diploma, I realized that I will never have it easier than I did. I will never have less responsibility, and won't have another opportunity to cheer on my school like I did in high school as a cheerleader. Starting college, I had so much nostalgia for the simpler and sheltered times; but my life did not start until I started attending the University of Oregon. In one year, I’ve learned how to be independent and live on my own. They may not be perfect methods, and I still have a lot to learn. College has so many more opportunities that will allow me to grow as a person and find my “true self.”    

 High school is awesome and easy, but college is where life starts.