15. Top Ten: What High School Students Take for Granted

1.  High school students fail to recognize all the support gained from living in a loving home.  Before coming to BYU, I failed to recognize how much work went into feeding everyone, completing chores, and finding fun, wholesome activities.  While living at home, parents can be a huge support during busy weeks.  At college, though they still love and encourage, they cannot be there to make you hot chocolate at 2 AM or reassure you that your ideas are unique.

2.  Parking at college brings its own challenges.  Instead of parking in a nice, warm garage, or even in front of your house, an individual could very easily be walking three-fourths of a mile to get to his or her car.  Every time you need another gallon of milk or laundry detergent, one must make a serious decision:  to trek to the Creamery or to the car.

3.  High school students don't appreciate school supplies, like a printer or a stapler.  Unlike in high school, one cannot simply walk into the library and print an unlimited amount of items for free.  Each page of print costs $0.07, which really adds up over the course of the semester.  Even if blessed with a printer, ink cartridges must be replaced, often at odd hours of the night after completing a tedious assignment.

4.  High school students fail to enjoy the amenities in their own homes.  Pianos must be sought out to ensure that many years of practice do not go to waste.  To guarantee that one does not gain a "Freshman 15," new running routes must be mapped out, or one must journey all the way to the Richard's Building to lift weights.  No longer can one rely on a family gym membership to stay healthy.

5.  High school students fail to appreciate "blow-off classes."  In college, they don't exist.  Even in STAC classes, equivalents of gym, one must go to the testing center and take an exam.  Likewise, even the 100 level classes have bell-shaped curves after tests.  Individuals who had never accepted anything lower than an "A" in their lives realize that a "B+" might be the best they can do, even after hours of study.

6.  With a few exceptions, the class sizes in college are much larger than in high school.  Most classes are in huge lecture halls.  Some professors will take the time to learn names, but the majority will just point when students have questions or answers.

7.  Although being at BYU offers huge opportunities through its diverse student body, sometimes one just misses close friends from high school.  Luckily, many grow close to their roommates.  Still, I find myself missing some of the friends I knew since elementary school and the inside jokes I had with my cross country team.

8.  Although freedom is often a wonderful part of college, no one is there to take care of you when you get sick.  Even during the past summer when I got my wisdom teeth out, I had parents who served me food and siblings who fulfilled my every need.  In college, even when faced with a cold or the chills, one must be brave enough to continue in one's busy schedule or even braver:  taking a day to rest.  If one chooses a day of sleep, one still must consider what to eat and how to alleviate various symptoms.

9.  High school students fail to appreciate the leverage of the phrase, "My mom said no."  In high school, I was governed by many rules, one of which was no sleepovers.  At first, I was flabbergasted by this rule, which was not imposed until middle school.  However, as I grew older, I often found relief in the fact that I didn't have to spend the night at some of my friends' houses, especially those who had parents with questionable standards.  Now, if I feel inclined to say no to any invitation, I have to give my own excuse instead of relying on the laws of my parents.

10.  High school students fail to recognize the significance of family traditions.  Even when I am having fun with my friends here, I wonder, "What is my family watching for movie night?" or "I wonder what faces my siblings are carving on their pumpkins this year."  Even activities as small as gathering for family prayer or family dinners make such an impact on daily life.  Taking all of these events away at once brings quite a change to the college student's life.