What Was (is) Your Social Status In High School?

[Galley]

I was a "brownie" by association. My best friend was one, and through him, I became friends with them.

(brownie = "brown-noser", or a student with very good grades).

 

[ms.gio]

I was considered the over-achiever in high school.

I was in many clubs/teams where I was the president, captain, or editor-in-chief. Besides that, I also strove to do my best in my classes.

I used to try and fill in any "empty-time" with something to do.

 

[63dot]

I think, as you say, it's a toss up. I actually did grow up in a small town (!6000 people), though I didn't go to school for the full 12 years there. I showed up after first grade and skipped two grades along the way, and so was only with the same class from 6th through 12th. I made some very close friends, though my most enduring friendships from that period were with a couple of people in classes above me.

My situation might be different from others' because my family moved away from that town almost immediately after I graduated from high school. For that reason, I haven't been back to the town where I grew up in six years or so.

That said, here's what I think the difference is between high school and college. In high school, especially in a small town, you make friends with who's around. The population is often a bit more homogeneous as far as interests go than a larger town or, say, college. My university, for instance, had more undergraduates than my hometown had people. I was exposed to a lot more people who shared my interests, and a lot more really interesting, bright folks, just from the fact that people were coming from all across the country. What's more, people are actually starting to figure what it is they care about when they get to college, at least more so than in high school. I think that opportunity to find people who strongly share your interests (instead of just your zip code) adds a lot to the college experience.

I see where you're coming from, though. Twelve or more years with the same group of people forges strong bonds--time will do that. But I think that for a lot of people, myself included, the four short years of college involve interactions that are so intense and concentrated that they are worth much more than the many years of grade school. Like I said before, you live with these people, and that forces you to work out your differences and get to know each other in a pretty intensely personal way.

But in the end, I'll waffle: What's true for me isn't true for everyone, but the main thing is to find people on whom you can depend and in whom you trust somewhere along the way.

in the first 12 years of school, one goes from a young child, just beyond a toddler, to an adult, or nearly so

one may experiment with substances like alcohol and share those experiences

many, if not most, lose their virginity at this time, and share those experiences

some may experience a loss of a parent or a divorce

and many, while never having a steady bf or gf, will find their first emotional and trying times with the opposite sex in these years and the huge gap in how the sexes communicate

from age 5 to age 18, there is a lot of developing and from first grade to high school graduation, a lot of that is covered

 

[mashny]

Hated high school. Absolutely hated it. Got good grades but kept to myself a lot, hanging out with friends I grew up with rather than those I went to high school with -- I went to a school for "gifted students" pretty far from my home, so I didn't go to high school with my friends. People liked me, but I was probably known as "that nice, quiet kid" by those astute enough to even notice me. I loved junior high and college, so it's not like I'm some antisocial brooder.

Did I mention I absolutely hated high school?

 

[Mr. lax]

Popular crowd, i am and always will be the class clown (maybe not quite but still never shuts up). I just love making people laugh. Average smarts but gifted in science (Science AP)

 

[themadchemist]

in the first 12 years of school, one goes from a young child, just beyond a toddler, to an adult, or nearly so

one may experiment with substances like alcohol and share those experiences

many, if not most, lose their virginity at this time, and share those experiences

some may experience a loss of a parent or a divorce

and many, while never having a steady bf or gf, will find their first emotional and trying times with the opposite sex in these years and the huge gap in how the sexes communicate

from age 5 to age 18, there is a lot of developing and from first grade to high school graduation, a lot of that is covered

None of that negates my point.