28 Oct 2019

You know what I’ve come to realise? High school was honestly unreal and it’s something that we will only experience once.  We dwell on the relationships shared, the drama that went down and the marks that decided our future. But there are so many underrated things about high school that we should treasure.

  1. The classes you waste

Yes, you need to do work in your classes (otherwise you get split up from your best mate, dang). But the best classes were those where you do absolutely crap all. Playing games on ya laptop, bathroom breaks to meet up with your friend from another class or laughing till the point you can’t breathe at the kid who always does the most random stuff. These are the simple antics you will miss the most. 

2. Recess/lunchtime

Ahhh, recess and lunch. The best part of the day.  Nowhere else in your life will you get that kind of break. Whether you go into a job or university or both, after high school you will never get a designated time every day to eat and do whatever you want with all your mates. You can chill, play sport, have a good old handstand competition. The possibilities are endless. And let’s not forget the best part – mum's packed lunch.

3. Short days

School days really did seem to drag on. With the clock watching over you, time never goes fast enough. What you didn’t know was that adult work shifts or uni days are hella long and that a six and a half hour day really isn’t that bad, especially when you’ve got so many breaks and all your friends are in the same room as you. On top of that, by the time you finish your schooling day it’s still light out, you can walk your dog, hit up the beach, ride your bike to your mate's. When you're out of school you’ll wish you treasured your arvos that lil bit more.

4. Synchronized breaks

No matter what workplace or university you go to, none of them have the same scheduling, making catching up with friends really hard. You will never have the same 9-3 Monday-Fridays and holiday periods as them. Sorry to break it to you, but hearing “soz I’m busy” becomes the new norm.

5. People there every step of the way

We may not want to admit it, but high school teachers supported us a LOT. They were there to push and encourage us and make sure we were always up to date. The rude reality of real life is that we need to do this all ourselves… and let me tell you, this can be the absolute pits.

Let’s not forget that high school teachers even sometimes brought in party food. Not all heroes wear capes.

6. Uniform

As much as they don’t breathe, are unfashionable and don’t fit properly, picking an outfit that hasn’t been repeated and is weather friendly is god damn hard when you have to do it every day. At least if you look ugly in uniform, you all look ugly together and the rest of the world doesn’t judge you for it.

7. Inside jokes

Nothing beats laughing at an inclusive, exclusive joke. When you spend six years with the same group of people, even if you’re not the closest of friends, you experience the awkward teenage phases and mistakes made by everyone; creating a pool of epic inside jokes... Like the time that guy fell out of a cupboard.

All being said, I know you’re keen to get to the end of your high school journey, but don’t forget to cherish these moments. You might not even know it but you’re actually having a bloody killer time. 

Words by Breck Carter