Cover Photo by Gauraangi Gupta
“Nostalgia: it’s delicate but potent. It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. It takes us to a place we ache to go again.” — Don Draper
Most have heard their high school teachers say, “You’ll miss these days when they’re gone,” at some point. Back then, however, students might’ve rolled their eyes and laughed it off. Now, a few semesters into college, they are wondering if the teachers were really right.
Suddenly, something strange starts to happen: they begin to miss high school, and not just old high school friends or the lighter workload, but the random and weird parts that did not matter to them then.
Cooglife reached out to some students and asked them what weird things they miss about high school. They had some interesting things to say.
Uniforms
Believe it or not, one of the most annoying parts of high school is one of the things college students miss about it. A supply chain management junior can vouch for that too.
“There was just a sense of belonging and identity when I saw everyone around me wearing the same uniform. It felt like we were all in on something together,” she said.
For some people, walking around the corridors in their uniform instilled them with confidence because they felt polished and professional. They preferred the simplicity of wearing a uniform.
Now, the hassle of standing in front of the closet while trying to figure out what to wear every morning for college has gotten frustrating.
Morning Announcements
As silly as it may seem, some college students reminisce about starting their high school days with morning announcements, claiming it gave them a sense of beginning to the day.
College, in comparison, sometimes feels quiet with everyone starting their days according to their own class schedules.
“College days don’t have a collective start time and end time,” said a biology major. “They just start.”
The student added, “In high school, it felt like we were all starting our day together, and something about that felt nice.”
Cafeteria Pizza
More often than not, cafeteria food was a hot topic for complaints in high school. But with pricey dining options on campus, students now remember the value of a slice of high school cafeteria pizza.
Engaging in silly conversations in the cafeteria with a comfort slice of pizza along with friends is a heartwarming memory for many people who now miss it in college.
A recently admitted freshman said, “It’s not even the taste that I miss necessarily. It’s more so the feeling of nostalgia that came with eating the slice.”
The student also added, “Food on campus is actually pretty expensive compared to high school.”
Knowing Everyone
While college offers new opportunities every step of the way, especially when it comes to socializing, the simplicity of high school is a feeling that’s hard to replace.
In high school, students would become more familiarized with seeing the same faces repeatedly. Sometimes that kind of familiarity brings a sense of assurance and comfort.
After the transition from high school to college, it can feel overwhelming to see the campus swamped with so many people and unfamiliar faces everywhere. Some students had their opinions to share on this matter too.
“I walk past hundreds of different strangers every day, which was not the case in high school,” said one student. “It’s weird because if I see someone on campus one day, there is no guarantee when I will see them next.”
Another shared, “I don’t mind seeing new faces every day. I think it’s one aspect that makes college life more exciting for me because I can socialize with more people, but it can be overstimulating sometimes.” This student added, “That’s when I think about how much simpler it used to be in high school.”
For most of these students, the high school nostalgia doesn’t necessarily have to mean they want to go back in the past. It is simply them acknowledging memories and moments that made a phase of their lives more worthwhile. Usually, that acknowledgment is stronger once the moment has passed.
Whether it is wearing the school uniform, hearing morning announcements or munching on the not-so-gourmet cafeteria pizza, there is some piece of high school that students still carry in their hearts, even after they graduate and head off to college.
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