How did you feel when you graduated from high school?

Bittersweet. I graduated a semester early and Friday I was in High School and next Monday I was in college. I missed out on that last semester where everyone else got to do all the big senior things whatever seniors do that last semester.

eh.

Like you, there was nothing there for me. Graduation was no big deal. I had many years of education to go before I could find any educational accomplishment really worth celebrating.

I was glad it was over, elated actually, and was looking forward to going away to school in the fall. My biggest disappointment was learning on the last day of school that two different girls had crushes on me earlier in the year. But other than that I had no nostalgia at all.

I don’t really remember. I don’t think I really cared. I didn’t miss it.

I felt pretty good.

Yeah, I just feel like getting everything over with. But my mom feels the need to have a party the day after graduation (when everyone is having a party). And although many people have RSVP-ed, I know that not many people will show up besides my family…but who knows, maybe I’m just being negative (although I feel like I’m being more honest).

But I know I will miss playing the cello in the orchestra with my friends…Will I miss the actual class? No… :)

You know what? I didn’t. But I’m not sure I missed much.

It didn’t feel like anything really special. I was a bit like you——I didn’t enjoy high school. I know a lot of young people look forward to graduating and that high school was an exciting, enjoyable, and memorable time for them, but I found it to be almost the opposite. I worked hard in high school and got excellent grades, but I didn’t have a strong social network of friends, and after I graduated me and my friends all went our separate ways. I haven’t seen or heard from any of them since, and that was more than 15 years ago.

But what I“ve learned most, is that high school and all the “hoop-la” that a lot of people seem to make it is really not that significant in the whole scheme of things. When you grow older and after many years, you realize that “real life” and “real friends and valued relationships” occur as an ongoing thing throughout your life, and that there are still many fun and more pleasurable things that await you in life.

I actually enjoy my life and what I have now more than when I was in my teens and in school. I suppose I’m a late bloomer, but then again, life is not a race. By the way, congratulations on graduating. Have a good time and look forward to the open road ahead! ;)

I graduated high school two years ago and mainly I felt accomplished and I was excited to go onto college. At the same, I was a person who did enjoy high school for the most part (though at the end I was so eager to get to college that I was just sick of it and I definitely had a few stupid classes and teachers), but it wasn’t the academic part I was going to miss, it was just that chapter of my life. I had a lot of fun with my friends in high school, especially the last two years. So there was definitely some sentimental feelings about it. Thankfully I still keep in touch with and am still friends with many people I spent so much time with in high school.

Trust me, online, I’ve felt like my experience is actually the unusual one and the norm is to have hated high school.

If had been allowed to skip graduation, I would have. I was out the door the next day for a summer job in another city and then off to college. It took years to learn to appreciate the hometown and the high school system.

A couple of years ago, I created a group for our class on Facebook, and we now have about a third of our classmates in it. It seems like all the old cliques have been forgotten, and the banter that goes back and forth is hysterical.

see:
http://www.fluther.com/119354/how-did-you-feel-about-graduation/

Similar to you, I didn’t feel like I’d be missing anything. I had changed schools my junior year and so had no friends at my graduating school, had barely attended enough time to make passing grades and was more concentrated on my job and getting ready to move out into my own apt. The upside is I was looking forward to everything that had nothing to do with high school.

I felt almost nothing – it was more this annoying day where I had to go and be hot outside.

I was really excited that it was over, but more anxious for summer since I was going to be away from home for 9 weeks in an unfamiliar place and uncomfortable settings for job related reasons. So, I graduated, then had a day to rest, pack, and off I went. I don’t miss a lot of people i knew in high school, for mostly were acquaintances, but the few who were my closer friends I knew I’d still keep in touch. Not saying i didn’t enjoy high school, I just don’t miss it. well, maybe a little :)

Earlier in the year, I had expected to feel nostalgic about all the memories, concerned about losing friends, and anxious about starting over at university, but when graduation rolled along I didn’t really feel any of those things. I felt accomplished, wished my friends a happy summer, and then went home and ate pizza with my siblings.

That was four years ago. I am about to graduate university in a couple of weeks. I feel those same sentiments I felt early on in high school: nostalgic about all the memories, concerned about maintaining contact with those friends who are moving, and I am anxious to begin working toward my masters degree. We’ll see how I feel post-graduation.

I was happy it was over with. I looked forward to college and a chance to be on my own. I didn’t miss any of my high school friends. The future was much more exciting than anything that happened in high school. I tried a lot of different activities and learned what I liked and what was really not my thing. I looked forward to trying even more in college. But all through my schooling, I felt like I was going through the paces of what I had to do to be an adult. I enjoyed it all, but there was more out there for me.

I felt a bit proud I think. I was, and still am, the first in my family to graduate (both of my parents and my two siblings dropped out). Also, I was proud because I worked my butt off to finish school (I had missed a couple years of school so I was behind).
But, the actual day of graduation…turned out to be not so great. My mom and her boyfriend showed up completely drunk, after I had asked them not to drink beforehand. Then they laughed (yes, they actually laughed) at me when I cried about it on the way home. It was horrible.

Actually, other than meeting my future wife, high school had little effect on my life. I wasn’t with the “in crowd” and had a few friends that were a lot closer than my school acquaintances. My yearbook picture showed me sleeping in the library. I had the high school routine down pat and knew exactly what I had to do to pass and learned more about science and electronics outside of school rather than in the class room.

I also liked hockey more than football so I would go to a Penguins game rather than support our high school foot ball team. I also had a job and joined the Navy Reserve when I was 17 (with my father’s permission).

In effect, high school was just another hurdle to complete so that I could get on with my life. The only thing I really felt at graduation was relief and a little apprehension about going to boot camp. My Father also insisted that I started college courses so I didn’t even get the summer off. Finally the boredom was over.

As leaving school approached, I began to feel really sad and desperate not to leave. I went out and bought all my teachers thank-you cards, even the rubbish ones who’ve taught me next to nothing. I got a massive notebook and got people to write goodbye messages in it. I just wanted to go back to my first year and do it all over again. I appreciated each lesson and all my friends more.

However, by the last week, I wasn’t even bothered. I messed around in class, kept the notebook in my bag and failed to hand out most of the cards for my teachers. By the last day I was indifferent. It was kind of a, “Well, it was good while it lasted. Yeah, I guess if I got the chance to go back I probably would…for like a day or something,” kind of attitude. I guess in the future I’ll miss it. Right now, I’m enjoying my freedom and new opportunites.

I sort of liked high school, but I was very sick of it by the end of my senior year, and excited for college. I did have very close friends in high school that I was sad to leave behind, but knew that I’d stay in contact with the ones I’m closest with (I have several high school friends I’ve known since age three), so I wasn’t extremely sad to part ways, and I was excited to meet new people. At the actual day of graduation, I felt very proud but nervous because I had to give a speech!

@amazingme I graduate in a week, and I couldn’t be more excited to be done with highschool.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a great group of friends and an amazing best friend inside of school. Outside of school I hangout with my sisters. I can wait to move on to college and meet real friends and actually start my life.
To me, highscool was a waste of time. I doubt that I will miss it, and I doubt that I will keep in touch with very many, if any of my friends after a year or so.
They say these are the best years of your life, but how can that be when you spent your time wishing those years away?

Yeah, I just feel that high school is just one of those annoying things everyone has gotta do…I really wish I wasn’t going to community college now, so that I can just leave.

@amazingme I can sympathize with your problem. My dad insisted that I start college less than a month after I graduated from High School. Since I was only 17 I had no choice. However I eventually talked my dad into letting me join the Navy Reserve. I later left school to go on active duty and eventually spent 12 years in the Navy who also paid for my higher education. I have found that working or being in the military makes the university much more attractive and interesting.

By the way, I joined the military, not because I like war but because I like ships and electronics. I was never too much into the military aspects and you don’t march in the Navy.

@ I had been thinking of joining the military for a while. I am an Army brat and I have two older brothers who are in the military; Army and Marines. So for a while I was considering…But I’m not sure if I would even like it, lol.

@amazingme just be aware that one of the first things that happen to people that graduate from boot camp is that they are sent to school.

It’s funny, I graduated to high school only to spend two years in electronics training for the Navy. It turns out that I didn’t hate school, only some of the subjects and the slow pace in which the subjects I enjoyed were taught. I even learned to like history and chemistry.

I felt excited and overwhelmed. I was a little sad after but I started getting excited for college. I feel the same way about not missing high school though, I’m glad I’m done with it.