I lived in a small town of 500 people. I went to high school in a town of roughly 5000 people. Our high school’s max capacity was about 1200, but there were only about 800 enrolled… and ¼ of them barely showed up. Our high school was the catch-all for any student living in the surrounding county area so it was primarily a farming community. The people in that town went to that same high school, had kids, and now their kids go to that high school… a lot of people never left or at least didn’t go far. Both of my parents went to that high school. When they attended the school was near capacity and I can’t imagine it. I always thought 800 was too many.
I didn’t really enjoy high school. I don’t have any horror stories, I didn’t really get bullied, I had great friends, and I got good grades… I just didn’t like it.
Being such a small school it was, of course, very cliquey. After grade nine or ten you pretty well knew every person in your grade and you knew exactly who they hung out with. For the most part, the friend groups that formed in grade nine stayed constant until graduation. I kind of bounced between who I hung out for a couple years. By grade 12 I had amazing friends.
Because of the kind of community the school was in, I didn’t feel like I belonged. I wasn’t a farmer, I wasn’t athletic, and I didn’t want to stay in that town. I felt like everybody around me was too small minded. I also felt more mature than most of my peers. I wasn’t really involved with the drama and I simply didn’t feel like I was on the same wavelength as those in my grade.
Another con of attending such a small school was that gossip spread fast. If something happened that morning you bet everybody and their mom (literally) was talking about it by lunchtime. Everybody knew each other’s business both in the school and throughout the town. Something that goes along with that is drama. The amount of highschool drama rampant through those hallways is astounding; cheating boyfriends, backstabbing best friends, you name it. Everybody knew your drama and they felt like they were a part of it too.
Not necessarily exclusive to small schools, but another thing I hated was the repetitiveness of the day. I would wake up, take the bus, sit through two periods, have lunch, sit through another two periods, and take the bus home. It is so easy to fall into the pattern. Nothing interesting ever happened and it was easy to become bored. Even the drama, although something new everyday, was expected!
I think the thing I disliked most about my high school is that I could never feel comfortable to be who I really am. Everybody was so judgmental. I also hated that the teachers were so overbearing. Students had no freedom because the teachers acted like our parents.
Out of the 4 years I would say Grade 12 was the best. Although I was growing sick of the drama, fake friends, and overbearing teachers, I had the best friends a girl could ask for, I could drive, prom was right around the corner, and we were top dogs of the school. Best of all, high school was almost over. I couldn’t wait to graduate. People always say “you’ll miss it one day” but I honestly don’t feel that way. It’s only been a year but I don’t see myself missing high school anytime soon.
Aside from my three best friends I don’t talk to anyone from high school and I’m okay with that. Sure, I have fun memories from high school. And yes, I miss seeing my friends everyday. But I’m making new memories, and my friends and I are all making our own lives and I get to see all the amazing things they accomplish! When we do get together it’s super fun and super special. I’ve moved on from that part of my life and I honestly think I’m better off for it.