By Chloe Patterson

High school tests your social, physical, mental, and emotional abilities all throughout the span of roughly four years. These years seem to go by super fast and really slow all at once. From the few things my friends told me about high school, they seem to have missed out on the subjects that were important  

1. Block schedules

Block schedules makes it easier to focus on what’s important. You build stronger relationships with the people that are in your classes because you spend more time with them. This helps you expand your social skills and you get to know people that you would never think you would even talk to.

2. Bulldog Hour

Once you get settled, you realize that Thursdays will be your favorite day of the week. Bulldog hour is forty minutes of free time, where you meet in a classroom and do what you need,  whether it be homework, socializing with friends, or meeting with a teacher on a subject that you are struggling with.

3. Gym

The dress code in gym is where it gets a thousand times better than middle school: you still need the same gym shirt with your name on it but you can wear any shorts you want as long as they are black. Also for girls you don’t need to put your hair up.

4. Lunches

Lunches are split up in three sections, A, B, and C. Lunch is based on the teacher you have. everyone in your class leaves the classroom the same day everyone comes back at the same time. Once the semester ends your lunch changes. It’s better than middle school lunches because you can sit anywhere you want – at a table, in the hall, or sitting outside.

5. It’s a lot easier than middle school

There are not enough people that like the same things as you. In high school you find so many people that have the same interests as you. Also in middle school you have basic classes that everyone can participate in and in high school there are classes that you can take that are about a subject that you enjoy.  

6. Grades are important

Colleges do look at all of your grades at high school, even freshman year. In middle school it does matter what your grades are because that helps the teachers place you in a class that you belong in. But no school will look at your middle school grades.  

7. Friends

In high school you make new friends that are in the same club or team. Since you spend hours upon hours with them you get to know them better and you make a group of people that can make your hard practice better. What you see way too often in high school is a clique. It’s the same idea of having your own group of friends and no one can come in.

8. Dating

Middle school relationships may seem like they were important in middle school. Everyone has a boyfriend or girlfriend that they walk with to their next class, or their name is in your instagram bio with a heart right next to it. They are all about the look of a person and what friend group you are in. In high school all that matters is how well you get along with that person.