You never know what you have until it’s gone."
This is such a true statement, and going into my senior year of high school, I’ve been doing some thinking. All of that complaining I did about getting up in the morning and going to school, all of that will be over and done with sooner than I think. I never thought I would be feeling a bit sad about leaving this place, but honestly, there will be things I will miss once I’m out. As I learn more about what college life will be like and what I am getting myself into, there are things I wish I had appreciated more while in high school. These are just a few of them.
Snow days
Cherish those times when school gets called off due to an inch or two of snow, because these rarely happen in college. Due to the fact that so many kids live on campus, colleges don’t feel the need to cancel classes because not as many students are walking or driving, and there aren’t school buses that need to be fired up. It’s gonna suck having to wear tons of layers and trekking out in -5 degree weather.
Not having to buy your own supplies
I never thought I would miss this. In high school, they will provide you with laptops, tablet computers, pencils, calculators, paper, and more. There’s no more of that when you get to college. The professors expect you to be prepared when you come to class. You can’t raise your hand and ask for a pencil anymore. Not to mention how much money you will have to shell out to be able to buy these things.
Free textbooks
Like school supplies, high schools usually provide you with those ridiculously expensive textbooks. In my school, they pass them out to you on the first day and they stay in out lockers most of the time, and we bring them back a few weeks before the last day. In college, you have to buy them, and don’t be surprised if you spend a few hundred on textbooks. Thank goodness for high school and the free educational system!
Lockers
I never thought I would miss my tightly-cramped locker. I never realized how convient they were and they could store all your books and school supplies. In college, you only have two options: If you’re staying on campus, you have a dorm room, and while you have a lot of space, it’s just not as convenient. Or, if you’re driving to and from school, you need a sturdy backpack that won’t rip in two when it’s filled with all your textbooks.
Also, who misses locker decorating? I do!
Eating lunch with friends
Sure, the food will be way better, but I’m not talking about the food. I’m talking about sitting at lunch and getting to hang out with your friends during the lunch period. Sometimes schedules don’t line up and you’re stuck eating lunch by yourself in college. Not that that’s a bad thing, but sometimes it’s just nice to have a buddy or two to spend time with.
Googling answers
Sparknotes was and still is my best friend going into my last year of high school. Also, the teacher passes out these photocopy worksheets which is awesome because all the answers are right there on Google or answered in Yahoo Answers. In college, the professors will write their own worksheets, which will make it much harder to find answers.
Ugh, why do you force me to use my brain?
Not reading the book and still passing English
Didn’t read the book? Have no fear, because sometimes the teachers will go over it or you can ask friends who read it for pointers. In college, you have none of that. You’ll get the exam and if you didn’t read it, you’re pretty much screwed. Sparknotes isn’t any help either because the professors will expect you to have a much deeper understanding than what they provide.
Didn't read? Too bad. You're definitely getting a D- on that test tomorrow.
School events and field trips
Homecoming, prom, field trips? All of that will vanish once you step foot in college. This is why you should try to participate in these, because you may regret not being able to experience the memories of running around getting ready for prom night, or going on a field trip with all your high school friends.
Yes, I know some colleges still have homecoming...
The fact that you get free transportation
Most of get up in the morning and walk to the bus stop. No more of that. If you live off of campus, you’re expected to get there yourself. No more yellow buses, you either have to walk, drive, or catch public transportation, which means even more money out of your pocket.
Your friends always being there
Due to conflicting schedules and the sheer size of some colleges, you’ll rarely get to see your friends during the school day. Remember when you’d see the same faces every day in class or in the hallway? It won’t be exactly like that once you get higher education. You’ll have to make time for each other outside of school hours. Also, college semesters go by quickly so those same faces you saw the first semester will probably not be the same ones you saw the second semester.
Being able to make up work
Sure, you can make up work while in college, but it’s much harder to do due to the sheer sizes of some classes. You get the exam, and boom, that’s it. You don’t get worksheets to raise your grade any higher, and you don’t get to test corrections or extra credit. If I ever get a low grade on an assignment in college, guaranteed I will be missing the time when I could ask the teacher for an extra day or get a crossword puzzle or something to boost my score.
Teachers
Even those teachers you hated, and the ones who struggled for weeks to know your name. The professors usually act more professional than the teachers in high school, and due to how large most classes are, they probably will never learn your name. You won’t have that relationship with them like you did with that cool teacher in your high school years. Cherish those moments when you had days where you did nothing because the cool teacher forgot his lesson plan.
Taking a sick day and not feeling like you missed a whole month of class
You could get notes off of your friends or have the teacher go over the notes you missed, but it can be difficult because of how much information they will squeeze into one lecture, and you’ll feel like you missed a whole lot when you come back.
Feeling like every day is a fashion show
College is not a fashion show like high school was. You roll out of bed and have your cute outfit picked out for tomorrow.
Girls and boys in college usually rock sweatpants and hoodies.
You can dress up sure, but comfort is key.
Early dismissals
Remember when you had a doctors appointment and your mom picked you right before the test? Yeah, say goodbye to that. It’s not going to happen anymore.
As I come out of my senior year of high school and make my way into college, it will be full of changes and new experiences. I would never want to go back to high school, but there will be aspects of it that I will miss and wish that they were available in college like how simple it was and how much of a head start I received before stepping foot in the real world. Don’t take high school for granted, because when it’s gone, you will realized how easy you had it.
Note: I know that some of these things do not apply to some colleges so don't tell me "Ummm Rainbow? My school still does this" or "You can still this at my college". Every college is different, I get it and I am just speaking in general here.
And no, high school wasn't all fine and dandy for me. Check out this myTake I wrote about high school last year.
Worst Things About High School
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