Moving Up

Class of 2012

Friday, May 11, 2012, marked the end of my high school career.

This still seems like a very bizarre thing to say, as I still have to return to this building several more times for exams and results, and I’m not affiliated with another establishment yet, but this was my last “proper” day in high school.

In my mind it’ll probably go down as one of my favourite days of all time. The school put on a valedictory breakfast for us before the day started which was excellent, as someone who loves a bit of food ;) Had it been any other day, two consecutive lessons would have seemed like a preposterous suggestion, but to have lessons in two of my three last ever periods, I was happy to have them (not that we were doing work anyway haha). The senior leadership team as well as our school officials put on a leavers’ assembly for us too, which was great. They had videos of the teachers saying goodbye, videos of the lower school voicing their opinions of Year 13 (rarely good, unfortunately haha), and old photos and videos of us. I would say that the large majority, including myself, of our year were in tears by the end of it, if not well before haha (playing Fix You is not going to resolve the lump in my throat at all). At the end of Year 11, we sort of coined Stand By Me as “our song”, and at the end of the assembly everyone got up and sang it, and by the end, people were falling into each other’s arms as emotional wrecks haha. Having to get the train home, alone, I needed to get it together, however. 

And the evening brought the long awaited May Ball! By the afternoon, all the attempted diets, dress issues and other stresses which had previously surrounded the idea of May Ball seemed to disappear, and I (unusually for this type of event) was horribly excited! I got ready at Chris’ as I was taking him, and he lives about a five minute drive from the venue haha. Such a dashing plus one indeed ;)

Normally I detest events where I have to make an effort to look presentable, but tonight was amazing! Everyone looked stunning, and certain people almost took my breath away with their beauty! I’d seen a lot of the dresses on the Facebook group we made to make sure no one got the same as someone else, but they look so much better in reality. We had dinner first, which was delish (this day was filled with good food). They had a leek and potato soup (nom), then chicken wrapped in pancetta (more nom) and profiteroles (normally I dislike them but these were nom as well). Then we were basically free to do whatever. I expected the photographer to be occupied all night, but he seemed to have nothing to do most of the time haha, so we managed to get loads of pictures which was excellent, and I bought pretty much all of them the next day haha. The day was absolutely amazing - even with the soles of my feet burning, I didn’t want the day to end one bit.

It still hasn’t sunk in that I’ve actually left my school haha. Even when I was sobbing in our last assembly, I don’t think it had still all hit me, funnily enough. I’m never going to have a lesson in that building again, that’s it! At the moment I only know of six or seven more days on which I’m going back there and then I’m not a part of it anymore. The last seven years of my life have been so comfortable and familiar, with the same morning routine I could do backwards, with my eyes shut, whilst doing a handstand - you name it. I can still remember thinking on my first day that I’d never know a building so huge inside out, but now I find myself walking the corridors totally mindlessly. And the people I see everyday - people in my year, my teachers, teachers I used to have, teachers I’ve never had but recognise, the people in the other years that you see all the time but whose names you never actually learn - the vast majority of them I’m never going to see again. 

I walked into that school a child, and a pretty weird one at that, but I walk out an adult. The last seven years have been a huge change for me in so many ways, and a lot of them probably wouldn’t have gone the way they did if it hadn’t been for where I ended up for high school, as I very nearly didn’t go there. Even if I’d ended up moving for sixth form - another thing which also happened - I might not be the way I am right now. I’m almost an official “old girl”, which makes me sound far older than I am haha. 

I’m not really sure where I’m going with whatever point I’m making, but I suppose even through all the times I’ve hated being there, rebelled against it and wanted to get out, I was lucky. I could have been somewhere so much worse, and I guess I took it for granted. Not that I think it’s necessarily a good idea to be in Year nine and be appreciating everyday because you “only have four years left”, that would be fairly ridiculous. Even when you think you’re somewhere awful and you wish you were anywhere else, I can almost guarantee you’ll look back on it, somehow, with fond memories, which I think can be said for a lot of things. Look at me getting all nostalgic and philosophical ;) The last seven years of my life have been completely memorable, and in a lot of ways I wish I could have them back or even do them all again, and better. A year ago I was terrified of this day, even five months ago, but I can say right now that I think I might be ready to go. High school has served me well but the real world has so much more to offer me, and I can do anything I want do now, the way I dictate it.