During spring break I got the chance to visit my old high school and reminisce. I roamed the halls, visited teachers, hung out with friends and watched a performance of the spring musical “Romeo and Harriet.”

All this reminiscing brought back some fond high school memories, along with the not-so-fond ones. But most importantly it reminded me why I don’t miss high school and made me all the more appreciative of college life.

For starters, I don’t miss the same boring routine and exact same schedule every day, having school 8:20 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. Monday through Friday and getting 20 minutes to scarf down cardboard pizza.

I don’t miss getting excused from class by a bell and herding into the packed halls where I had three minutes to go the bathroom and get my books for the next class, where I’d sit for another 45 minutes pretending to be interested in whatever the teacher was preaching, claiming it’d prepare me for college and real life. Can’t say I miss any of that at all.

I like the schedule that I have now-class 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with an hour for lunch, lovingly prepared by Sally, the wonderful cook at SAE. Then not having class until 11 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday with my 11 o’clock being my only Thursday class, plus no packed halls or annoying bells and no forced classes, unless you count the Cornerstone program but even then you have choices as to what to take and who with.

I don’t miss the drama, back stabbing and fake friends. If you went to a small high school like mine-I graduated with 33 kids in my class-you know what I’m talking about. You can’t help but date your best friend’s ex-girlfriend, and everyone knows everything about everyone.

I like the fact that I don’t have to pretend to be nice and be all buddy-buddy with someone I don’t care for. In high school, you had to in order to survive because you dealt with the same people everyday. Not the case in college, with a lot of people you only see once or twice a week.

I find comfort in knowing that if I make-out with someone during a party that it won’t be all over the school within the next 48 hours, and I like not knowing every single person I go to school with along with the names of their parents and siblings.

I don’t miss my high school theatre department, for the most part. I adore and love the people, but the facilities, not so much. I don’t miss the wooden foldout stage that was rolled into the gym or cafeteria for performances. I don’t miss the eight lights that hung from volleyball poles, and I don’t miss the non-existent make-up and costumes.

I don’t miss the ridiculous and insane teachers.

I could share horror stories with you about my Spanish teacher who had left her previous job because of a nervous breakdown or my history teacher who would lock students out of the classroom. I don’t miss teachers telling me that in college no one cares about what you do and that professors won’t hold your hand. I don’t miss having to get a pass to use the restroom, go to my locker or needing a note from my mommy to excuse me from class.

I like that I am now responsible for myself and that there isn’t going to be a call home if I don’t go to class. I like the fact that my professors treat me like an adult and that classroom discussions actually revolve around important issues.

I don’t miss study halls. Honestly, who used them? It was time when you sat in the cafeteria or library and did nothing, wasting 45 minutes of your life. It was spent watching the class clowns run around and wrestle, shoot spit-wads and throw things while the study hall monitor tried to take control. She’d finally call the principal who would come in yell at everyone.

Yeah, I don’t miss those times.

Of course, to be quite honest, there are a few things I do miss about high school.

I miss not having to do homework-that I never had to crack a book, study for a test or read for class because it was a lot easier to fake my way through.

I long for the days when a five-page paper due in two weeks was a huge deal, and we had class time to work on them.

I miss pep rallies and getting excused from school to go watch the school’s lone wrestler who made it to state, or, to be honest, getting excused from school so I could go shopping while pretending I went and watched the school’s lone wrestler who made it to state.

I miss teacher in-service days and snow days, especially as a senior because then you didn’t have to make them up.

These are a few things I miss about high school.

So, while high school did provide me with good memories, some good friends and a lighter work load if I had to choose between that and college, college would easily win. I like not having the exact same class schedule everyday, not needing mom and dad to write me notes, and I enjoy having college professors who are actually interesting.

So Melcher-Dallas High School, it was real and it was fun. But I can’t really say that it was real fun.