High school. The bane of so many people’s existence. These years could be amazing, the worst, or something in between. You may remember more about this time as some of the more formative elements of your life began here.
What high school(s) did you go to?
Google them and save a picture. Did you move from one school to another or stay in the same one throughout Grades 7 to 11 (or equivalent)?
Progressing from elementary school to high school.
What was the biggest shock moving up to high school? Were the buildings bigger? Did you get lost in the halls? Were you bused to school or could you walk? Did you feel nervous around the senior kids? Did you have lockers and ever forget your lock combination? Were any of your siblings already there to make things easier or look out for you (or cause your grief)?
Friends.
How many friends moved with you from elementary to high school? Did they last through till graduation? What made them good friends? Are you still in touch? If you broke up with friends, what caused the break?
Teachers.
Who was the best teacher? What made them so? And who was the worst, and why? How did these teachers interact differently with you than those in elementary school? What surprised you about high school teachers? Did any one teacher help you with something important and if so, what?
Recess and lunch.
Did you go outside at recess or linger in the halls with friends? Did you bring your lunch or buy at a cafeteria? Were you allowed off the grounds during those times? What were the monitors like?
Gym.
How did gym class change from elementary to high school? What types of sports did you play and what did you become good at? What did you hate playing and why? Did you join any of the school’s sports teams or lunch time activities? Did you have to take showers after gym and how was that handled? Was anyone ever injured playing a sport during class? Did you ever try to get out of gym class, and if so, how?
Subjects.
What new subjects were you introduced to in high school? Which became your favorites, and why? What class did you hate the most, and why? What did you focus on as you got ready to graduate? Did you know by Grade 11 what jog you wanted in the future? How did a good or bad teacher affect your love or hate of a subject? Did any subjects you once enjoyed become “avoid at all costs” classes? Did you ever skip classes, and if so, what did you do and with who?
Parents.
Were your parents able to help you with subjects? Did they push you one way or another? Did you have a lot of homework and how did you handle it? Was school a rough topic between you and your parents? If so, why?
Extracurricular activities.
Did you join any groups in school, drama, band, yearbook, chess? Did you make any friends from doing so? If you stayed after school, how did you get home? Were there activities you wanted to join but could not do so, and why?
Boyfriends/girlfriends.
Did you have a crush on anyone in high school? Did anything come of it? Who was your first date and what did you do? Were you set up, or did the two of you come together on your own? Was there a lot of drama around relationships, and how did that affect you?
Report Cards.
If you don’t have any of your old reports cards, ask your parents if they kept any. Where I live, the government will provide copies of final reports cards up to 1972. Check with the government educational department where you live (or went to school) to see what is available. Also, get in touch with the school you attended.
School Pictures and Yearbooks.
Did your school have yearly picture day and did your parents buy those pictures? If you don’t have them, see if your parents kept some. How did you feel on picture days, nervous, excited? Did your parents buy yearbooks and do you still have them? Did you get your friends to sign the back of your yearbook each year? There are companies online that have yearbooks for sale or to look at (including Ancestry and Classmates). Or you could get in touch with an old classmate and see if they still have theirs. They may make a quick scan of your picture and send it to you.
Peer Pressure.
How bad was peer pressure in your high school, or for you personally? How did it change as the years passed? Were you ever pressured into drinking, doing drugs, or having sex? How did you handle that? Did anything happen that changed you? Has anything followed you throughout your life? Were you bullied? Were you the one doing the bullying? Why? With hindsight, what do you wish you could change?
Graduation.
Did you graduate? If not, why? Did you have a prom or graduation dinner or party? Where was it held? Who did you go with? Were you happy with your dress or suit? Did you have an in-school official ceremony? Do you still have your diploma? What were you most proud of? Did you win any awards?
Your Turn:
- Find pictures of your high school, class pictures, or graduation photos.
- Draw a map of the interior of your school, if you remember.
- Locate at least one report card, or write away for them, if possible.
- Find your old best friend on social media and reconnect—if you want to.