What happened to your classmates after high school?

[triplemultiplex]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

[Max Rockatansky]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

Definitely wasn't for me.  We had to move back to Michigan from Connecticut because my Dad's company got bought out and his contract wasn't renewed.  We ended up moving to Lansing instead of Detroit which wasn't really probably the best decision in retrospect since my Dad had to eventually take a job in the Chicago Monday through Friday.  It really sucked having to leave the friends and all the things that I liked to do in New England, basically people just drank and smoked in Michigan in those days...especially in the winter. 

I had no interest in staying in Michigan or work in the auto industry.  All the kids I went to high school with all wanted to work in the factories or be a stay at home parent....basically they were townies and that wasn't for me.  I was always clear on wanting to move into Law Enforcement but I don't think my parents really thought that I was serious about it.  I had a half-brother that lived in Phoenix at the time and I thought the place was awesome after visiting a couple times.  I worked a bunch of odd garage jobs in high school and saved enough money to make the move, I even owned my own truck outright after making payments.  I sure surprised the hell out of my parents when I told them that I was moving a week after graduation.     Funny thing was that in less than a decade later al my immediate family had left Michigan for good...I guess they realized the place was dying after I did.

Its odd seeing those people sometimes when I go back and visit.  I still can't think of what I would have actually done if I stayed in Michigan...maybe worked State Patrol?

[broadhurst04]

There were almost 600 people in my high school class. I don't know what happened to most of them. Of the ones I've reconnected with on Facebook: some of them still live in the same county as the school (like I do), some of them have moved to other parts of the state, and some have moved out of the state entirely. One lives with his wife and daughter only ten minutes from my house; another lives in Southern California.

[broadhurst04]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

Not for me, it wasn't. I just basically showed up in the morning, went to classes and lunch, then went home in the afternoon. Never went to prom, went to a few football games (with my Dad), no after-school activities, and really, no friends. Only interacted with classmates when teachers paired me up with someone or put me in a group.

[SignGeek101]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

Not for me, it wasn't. I just basically showed up in the morning, went to classes and lunch, then went home in the afternoon. Never went to prom, went to a few football games (with my Dad), no after-school activities, and really, no friends. Only interacted with classmates when teachers paired me up with someone or put me in a group.

+1 for me. Though I never considered high school to a be a negative of sorts either really.

[allniter89]

Most of the people I know stayed in Michigan around the general area where they grew up.  Apparently it was a really big deal that I was one of the few people in my class to move to the west coast (Arizona) when I was 18...I guess people just really didn't do that back then?  There was one girl I knew who eventually moved to a couple years after me Scottsdale and then Miami around the same time I was in Florida myself. 

stalker??

[Max Rockatansky]

Most of the people I know stayed in Michigan around the general area where they grew up.  Apparently it was a really big deal that I was one of the few people in my class to move to the west coast (Arizona) when I was 18...I guess people just really didn't do that back then?  There was one girl I knew who eventually moved to a couple years after me Scottsdale and then Miami around the same time I was in Florida myself. 

stalker??

No definitely not, she married some older dude who worked in a resort or something.  I most heard the story from my sister who was friends with her.

[MNHighwayMan]

IDGAF about 95% of them, and the five percent I do care about I keep in regular contact with. That five percent are pretty much all successful and have adapted into adulthood... and then there's me.

[DandyDan]

I have no idea about most of them and I don't really care.  I do know 4 of them have died for sure.  One of them had the dumb luck to settle in my old Nebraska hometown and I found out he is already retired Air Force (no surprise on that, Offutt AFB is nearby there).  At least 2 are college professors, 1 is a church minister, 1 guy makes guitars for notable rock musicians and 1 guy is a failed politician (so far, in the sense of he didn't get elected).  I'd probably know more if I ever went to any reunion, or even went back to that particular old hometown, but I got better things to do.

[1995hoo]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

Depends on what you mean by "glory years." I did reasonably well in school, except in math classes, and got a bunch of awards and such. The friends I had were good people. On the other hand, due to my math grades and my father berating me constantly about them I struggled with depression for much of the four years (successfully kept it secret from everyone, though), and there were a lot of people in my high school I did not like and do not care to see again. I haven't been to any reunions. Don't know whether I'll go to the 30th in 2021. I never even got any info about the 25-year one I assume was held last year. I do go to most of my college reunions and I enjoy those very much. Have not been to any for law school (next year is 20 years) and I doubt I'll ever go, though I wouldn't mind going back at a non-reunion time. The law school issue is not primarily a classmates issue like it is with high school, though, and is more a case of my not liking various things the university administration has done over the years. 

Sometimes when I look back I'm a bit surprised I lived through high school, but that's a different topic I don't much want to think about right now.

[jakeroot]

High was almost non-existent for me. I only went to "high school" for one year. The region of the school district that I lived in meant that most of my junior high friends went to another high school (high school for me was years 10-12). On top of that, I took college courses (at a local community college) my final two years, which meant varying schedules, and not a lot of time spent at any school (three classes per quarter, only a few hours of school each day). I only went to a few dances, but the few that I did attend were not at my original high school. The college I attended had a high school across the street -- and most of my new friends were also dual HS/college students -- so I went to their dances.

In the end, it worked out great. Got my diploma and an AA the same month. Alas, it's been three years since then, and I haven't done much with either. Guess that's the way she goes.

As for my friends, well, I see them from time to time at local pubs, and on Facebook (and other social media sites).

[broadhurst04]

I haven't been to any reunions. Don't know whether I'll go to the 30th in 2021. I never even got any info about the 25-year one I assume was held last year.
 

My class had a 20 year reunion in 2009 but I didn't go because the tickets were too expensive and the whole thing appeared to me to be just an excuse for everyone to drink alcohol and brag to each other about how much money they have, which is not my idea of a fun evening. It was held at a trendy hotel and there was a bar available. If it had been more like an informal lakeside catered picnic, that would have been more my speed. I guess I'm not sophisticated enough  for them. I don't think there was a 25 year reunion in 2014 and I'm not holding my breath for a 30 year reunion in 2019.

[Rothman]

Junior high was much worse for me than high school, but I was still near the bottom of the totem pole.  Had a group of friends, though, a few that I still am in touch with.

At my 20 year reunion, I did have a fun opportunity.  There were three guys that I was neither on the best or worst terms with.  Walked past them and just said hello; they acted like they were better than me and walked away.    Couldn't believe it to the point of laughing out loud.  So petty and they did look silly.

Not the best years of my life, but they did have their moments.

[renegade]

IGNF.

[Roadgeekteen]

Wow, my teenage life is going a lot better than many of yours!

[SignGeek101]

Wow, my teenage life is going a lot better than many of yours!

Maybe, maybe not. You don't know the future. But make the best of it; it only happens once.

[jeffandnicole]

My class had 150 people in it. The only way I have kept in touch with any of them is via Facebook, and that usually consists of liking their posts. But just like those who had classes with 600 kids, the overall percentage of former classmates have been successful, in prison, died from cancer and everything in between is probably about the same.  The worst of the kids I knew I haven't seen on Facebook, so I wonder where they wound up.

[LM117]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

My freshman and sophomore years kinda sucked since I kept getting put in classes with the same assholes that I had beef with, but the last two years weren't really bad at all.

Middle school, on the other hand, was pure hell.

[Max Rockatansky]

Wow, my teenage life is going a lot better than many of yours!

Really having high school as some sort of high point in your life isn't something you should aspire to.  Really ultimately you aren't an adult and are completely at the mercy of your parents or even school.  For me high school wasn't so much bad but rather just a incredibly dull period of my life. 

Before high school my Dad was doing pretty well in his career.  As a family we traveled a lot more in those days and did a lot more things.  Back in Michigan everything was a struggle and in that sense everyone became homebodies.  Really probably the most interesting thing I used to do in those days was drive back and forth from the house to Michigan to Chicago once I got my license.  When driving through industrial ruination of Gary, Indiana is something you look forward too....I wouldn't say that is a good sign.

The first couple years out of high school weren't that great either but I at minimum I had freedom to make my own decisions.  I was incredibly serious about building a career which basically drove most of my life and what I did.  It paid off by the time I was 22 since that was when I started to make decent money and had most of my adult era struggles behind me. 

[kkt]

Wow, my teenage life is going a lot better than many of yours!

The day is still young.

[english si]

I'm not sure about many of the 180ish that were in my class, but most of the ones I know about either are earning bucket loads in the finance industry or are in the professions - about 30 went to study medicine, and a lot seem to have become teachers, others will be chartered accountants and engineers.

Some more unusual/exceptional ones:

One was a teacher, but after doing their newly-qualified year they went to work as a special advisor (political appointee) in the Department of Education getting paid a huge amount of taxpayers money. I'm pretty sure we all still reckon we were right to make him "most likely to become Prime Minister" in the yearbook and he'd probably become an MP in 2023, when our hometown's MP presumably will retire.

Another is a professional footballer in England's lower leagues (having played for Notre Dame for a spell) - now captain of Burton Albion in the Championship having been with them for two promotions. I didn't really know him - we never shared any classes and he was only there for three years.

A third, who left at 16 (expelled for yet another drugs offence right before the end of the year - my favourite was selling tea as if it was weed that he moaned about when he came back from a short suspension for it as he wasn't actually selling drugs - but he was leaving anyway), unsurprisingly for him 'found Islam' while doing a post-16 business qualification where everyone doing it is normally of Pakistani origin and thus nominally Muslim (he loved to try too hard to fit in). However, he actually found some solace (got off drugs, began getting over his parent's divorce) and dived right in to developing that part of his life. His desire to fit in was exploited by the wrongs sorts and he was arrested as part of the Transatlantic Flight Bomb plan, due to proximity to the actual plotters and the fact that he was still a bit of a plonker. Eventually he was found Not Guilty on all charges, save a relatively minor gun-related one which he plead guilty to and seems to have managed to delete most references to him related to that whole affair, save for a couple of mentions of his birth name, which he doesn't use anymore. He did an interview on his release, and he seemed incredibly mature about it all, and at peace with it. Certainly he seemed to have lost the things that used to irk me a little about him - though we got on well (at least I thought so) back in the day - and understood why they were things that made him less pleasant to be around.

A forth had a small TV/Film acting career (the IMDB page misses his minor role in an episode of Tellytubbies, which his mum was a producer on) with a couple of parts due to his family conections. His line in Kingdom of Heaven is the most terribly delivered I've ever seen - which is odd, as I know he could act better than that, having done role plays in French with him - but probably killed his on-screen career if he actually wanted one.



AFAICT, we're about average for what 30-31 year old British men are wrt married and children: probably just over half married, a smaller number with youngish children with a couple of older children 10+ between all of us (there was just one of us who was a father when we were 18).

[Roadgeekteen]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

My freshman and sophomore years kinda sucked since I kept getting put in classes with the same assholes that I had beef with, but the last two years weren't really bad at all.

Middle school, on the other hand, was pure hell.

Why does everyone think that middle school is hell?

[Rothman]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

My freshman and sophomore years kinda sucked since I kept getting put in classes with the same assholes that I had beef with, but the last two years weren't really bad at all.

Middle school, on the other hand, was pure hell.

Why does everyone think that middle school is hell?

It is tautologoical.

[Henry]

I was a loner in high school, but I was well-liked, and AFAIK, most of my classmates are still living in Chicagoland and rooting for the World Champion Cubs!

[Max Rockatansky]

I sense that for most of us, high school wasn't exactly our glory years.

My freshman and sophomore years kinda sucked since I kept getting put in classes with the same assholes that I had beef with, but the last two years weren't really bad at all.

Middle school, on the other hand, was pure hell.

Why does everyone think that middle school is hell?

It is tautologoical.

Middle school was probably the best years I had as a kid for all the reasons I already described.