Now that I am a junior in college, my high school days seem so long ago. With graduation party season upon us, I can't help but compare my 4 years at Eastview High School to the life I live now. Looking back on it all, there were some tidbits that were exclusively "just high school things." To my former teammates and friends that just graduated, you will soon come to realize just how unnatural these high school things are once you start your college career. With that being said, I would like to share at least 10 of these unnatural high school trademarks!
1. The bell
You all know what I am talking about. For every school, there was at least some annoying noise that sounded when it was time to go to the next class. Those who tried to take one footstep out of classroom boundaries before the bell sounded were deemed "the naughty ones" or "the rebels." Being in college now, I find it funny that we allowed it to have so much power over us. One tiny little bell telling us to walk faster to class because it was a warning bell, that there was no time to go to the bathroom, or to not take a single step further. While I see that this may be necessary for the freshmen students, I was still obeying the bell my senior year! To those that have been in college, imagine if there were a bell to tell us to go to our next class, or when to go to lunch, it just seems so silly when you're trying to tell 18+ year olds when they can leave class.
2. Lockers
Ah yes, the days of stuffing my giant coat, books, lunch, gymnastics bag, and everything else, into a locker that was not made to hold that much. One of the hardest parts about having a locker was the fact that the combination from the year before was still drilled into my head. It took a good couple weeks for the new one to become muscle memory. I do not miss lockers at all because it basically kept me on a leash. If I left something in my locker, I would have to map out the fastest route to get to my locker while beating the next warning bell. It felt a little like Mission Impossible at times. The only positive I can take out of having a locker, was that it taught me how to open my P.O. box in college!
3. Passing time
High school has allowed me to empathize with a herd of cattle. How? By a horrible thing called passing time. I still don't understand why everyone walked so slowly when we only had about 3 minutes to walk from one side of the building to the other. It may sound like an ample amount of time to get from one class to the other, but I soon learned that if I forgot something in my locker AND had to use the bathroom, I could only pick one. On top of that, being short was no help for me at all. Because of this, I always had an up close and personal view of many tooshies while going up the stairs, and I am sad to say my face may have crashed into a couple over the years when the traffic jam came to a sudden stop. To those who attended Eastview like me, the B2 stairwell was the heart of the traffic jam, and a place to avoid at all times.
4. Stuck inside all day
Being stuck inside the school's walls for hours used to be a norm for me, but now that my classes are more than 3 minutes apart, I can't imagine having to go from class to class to class all day long. No wonder I was always so tired when I got home and took several 2 hour naps on the hardwood floor. One of the best things about college is that in between classes, I have the ability to go take naps, hang out with friends, do some homework, or literally anything else you can think of other than more learning. There is even the option to not go to class which was not an option in high school (although I highly do not recommend this). Granted, there are some -30 degree days where I wish I didn't have to go outside, but on those few lovely Minnesota spring days, one of the worst feelings is sitting in AP Euro looking at the sun shining out the window. So close, yet so far.
5. Designated lunch time
One of the most common phrases said at the beginning of each new quarter was "what lunch do you have?" A and D lunch were the worst times to have because they were so early and so late. Then, there were the awkward B and C lunch times where we would leave in the middle of class to go eat. For years, we have gone along with being told what time we had to start and end eating lunch, as well as where we had to sit. I soon knew what part of my lunch I had to be at when the clock hit a certain time if I wanted to be able to have time to savor my cookie. And when we hit senior status and got to sit by the big windows? Oh man, those were the ultimate glory days. And don't get me started on when we could eat lunch OUTSIDE 5 feet away from the building if we had our senior privilege wristband. As a college student looking back on this concept, I can't help but laugh because that is all up to you now. Being able to pick when and where you eat lunch is the epitome of growing up, am I right? In college, you can eat in class, in the cafeteria, in your dorm, outside, not eat at all, eat lunch for breakfast, breakfast for lunch, lunch for dinner, or even if you so pleased, in the bathroom. Literally no one cares! I'd also like to note that there are no more "lunch box trends," and I now find it embarrassing that I thought I was so hip for having a Vera Bradley lunch box with the portable Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer that was on there "just for looks" to carry around my PB&J and Pringles. (For the record I don't wear groutfits on the daily).
6. The ACT
There was nothing I dreaded more than the ACT, even more than calculus tests, which says a lot. Yes, the ACT helped me in getting to college which allowed me to get away from all these things I don't miss, but I still despised it. First of all, it made me have to wake up early on a Saturday, but in addition, it definitely tested how high my heart rate could get, as well as how legible my handwriting could be while having a hand cramp. The ACT is mysterious in the way that no matter how hard you work, how many prep classes you take, or how good of a guesser you are, the score may drastically go up, down, or stay exactly the same even if you thought you did better than the last time. It reminds me a lot of the weight loss process. No matter how hard you work, the score may stay at the same number, and that number is allowed to define you with no consideration of character or personality. The last time that I took the ACT, I remember being excited just because I knew it would be the last time I would have to take it for the rest of my life.
7. Same schedule every day
Looking at my freshman year college schedule, my initial thought was "woah, I only have this class 2 days a week?!" I can't even imagine having the same classes every single day, and on top of that, getting all the homework done for the next day. There are some weeks where having a class 3 days a week feels too much for me, but then I think back to when I had AP Calc everyday, and I feel quite okay again. In college there is at least some variety in my days, but back in high school, it would be the same classes everyday, go to the chiropractor after school, go to gymnastics, go home and do homework until bed, and then wake up and do the same thing over again for a whole quarter. Some of my favorite days of the year were the beginning of a new quarter because that meant (some) new classes, new peers, and a little more variety until that schedule became the new routine. I feel like I shouldn't have gotten so excited about a quarter change, but that just says how much of a repetitive pattern we lived in.
8. Getting out of the parking lot
For those that had a parking permit, there were 2 lots to park in. If not, to the "Loser Lot" you went all the way across the practice fields! Having a parking permit was nice and all, but parking in either lot had its cons. If I did not high tail it out to my car at the end of the day, I would be sitting in traffic where newly licensed drivers still did not know right of way rules, or did not care. There were some close calls over the years. I can credit this with my ability to be so good at fast walking now. Also, if I did not get out in time, this led to getting stuck behind the school buses as they left their lot, and waiting a good 5 or so extra minutes. The other lot was not much better. It had even more new drivers, drivers who thought they were cool by blasting rap, going way too fast, and trying to race each other. There should be some sort of bell system for the parking lot instead of using it inside! I must admit, I was one of those drivers that blasted my country music with my aviators on, and yeah, I did feel like a pretty cool little high schooler, but at least I knew my right of ways.
9. Tuesday night gymnastics meets
While this one does not apply to most of you, it really was one of my least favorite things about high school. Of course I loved competing, but gymnastics meets are not fast, and those of you who have read my past blogs know that Tuesdays are just not the best for me. If I had my college schedule with classes every other day, this would be no problem. Being a college athlete and juggling my schedule was not easy, but being a varsity gymnast in high school was even harder in my opinion. Competing until 9:30 at night after already completing a school day that started at 6 AM was one of the hardest things I had to do. As captain my junior and senior year, I had to set a good example and still perform at an optimal level, and push aside the fact that I had homework for my AP and CIS classes. On top of that, I would still have to get some dinner and do homework for the next day after the meet was done. Maybe this is just a cluster of Terrible Tuesdays making one giant Terrible Tuesday.
10. The hierarchy
I saved the biggest one for last. In high school, everyone knows that there are "the populars," "the nerds," "the band people," and so many more. In addition, everyone knew what group they belonged to, and never challenged it. As much as I hated it, I still followed it by trying to dress my best everyday, and not upset those higher in the food chain. People didn't dare talk to anyone in the group "above" them because they thought they weren't cool or worthy enough. This was the most annoying and frustrating thing about high school because the ones at the top of the pyramid felt entitled to the best table in the cafeteria, always hung out in a certain spot, and basically dressed the same. When you go to college, all of that vanishes. I have proudly worn sweatpants more times to class in college than I did in my four years of high school. No one cares if you had the most expensive get-up, dated that one hot guy, or were in the "it" group. And for goodness sake, no one cares that your party bus had air conditioning for prom junior year. It was so refreshing to step onto campus and know that I was not defined by a group, but was instead welcomed by everyone as us Gusties are known for. The fact that there are unwritten rules of high school about who you are, who you can be, how you should dress, who you can talk to, what boys/girls you can date within certain groups, all limits defined by our own peers, is absolutely ridiculous, messed up, and not natural!
Some honorable mentions that I have left out are the questionable stains on the cafeteria carpet, interesting substitute teachers, dating in high school, prom drama, and that girls felt the need to run the sink while they used the bathroom because it's too embarrassing to just go. I find it interesting how some people say that life just gets harder as you get closer to "the real world," but so far its treated me pretty well. To all of the recent high school grads that can relate to these 10 things, I hope you are able to look back next year and see how funny it seems that these things even exist, and that you put up with them for 4 years. It may be easier to remember the time you fell down the stairs in front of your crush rather than the time you officially completed your first College in Schools ethnography. Or the time you went into the guys bathroom instead of remembering the time you won first place on beam. Remember that high school was supposed to be full of awkward, horrible, embarrassing, frustrating, and gross memories; but also remember that high school has those "high school things" that you can't experience at any other point in your life. Experience it, embrace it, then laugh about it!
Congrats class of 2018! Welcome to the college club.
~Lauren