While you're always 17 in your hometown, coming home from college is never the same. Over the past year or years, your friends from home have changed and your interests and tastes have changed. Most of us lose touch with most of our high school friends because we have made friends in our new homes, but when you do see your high school friends (or enemies), it's always fun to see how they are "turning out."
This is a list of the types of people you might see when you go home for the summer:
1. The "Good Kids"
There was always that group of kids in high school who made the grades, were most involved, didn't get in trouble for partying and went to good schools. Most of their lives they have been known as the "Good Kids," but when they went to college they discovered a plethora of new things, including flavors of vodka and tequila. If you find yourself at a high school reunion party, they'll be the ones carrying around handles telling you how fun college is.
2. The Unexpected Successfuls
These are the people in high school who were within that "popular crowd" or just never rose to the top grade-wise, but go to college. They slowed down on that party life and decided to focus on what is important: their future. They're living that independent single life or keeping a steady relationship and thinking about graduate school and internships. Who knew they would do so well?
3. The Expected Successfuls
They were good kids in high school and are still good kids in college. While they may have made their way into the party scene, they haven't lost sight of their goals. They've got all the internships, grades and grad school applications on lock. It's no surprise they are doing so well in college because everyone knew they would do great things after high school.
4. The Ex- Athletes with Beer Bellies
These are the high school athletes who constantly re-live their days as "state champions" or "would-have-been state champions." They may have tried to play at a smaller school then transferred or never tried to play past high school. While the game is still on their mind, they don't have the time nor the motivation to work out the same way, plus their metabolism doesn't stays the same. Eating five meals a day and drinking on weekends catches up to them, and it's definitely noticeable when they come home.
5. The Ex- Athletes WITHOUT Beer Bellies
While they have retired as high school athletes, they have found a way to keep doing what they love through club sports, intramurals, working out or running marathons. Their athletic motivation never left them after high school, so they balance a life of academics and staying in shape just like they always have.
6. The Expected Pregnant
After only a few months after high school ended, they posted pictures of their sonograms on Facebook saying, "It's a boy!" When you come home, you see them caressing their baby boy while strolling through the grocery line. It's the kind of girl you always knew would get pregnant young, but she's holding it together and attending a community college nearby.
7. The Unexpected Pregnant
WHAT?! SHE'S PREGNANT? NO WAY! Yes, it's true. Some girls just have a little too much fun breaking out of their shell in college. Here they are, pregnant.
8. The Married
While you're sitting on your couch watching Netflix and eating ice cream by yourself on Saturday nights, there is someone your age in a lifelong, committed relationship at 19. They had a small-scale wedding and took off to live together somewhere far away or somewhere close by. Sometimes these are the couples who dated all through high school, and sometimes they just come out of nowhere. You didn't even know she was dating this guy until you saw the engagement ring on Instagram! Who is he? Where did he come from?
Sub-categories:- 8a. Pregnant then married
- 8b. Married then pregnant
- 8c. Just Married because they are in love.
9. The FRAT STAR
He's social chair, president and lord-knows-what-else of his fraternity. All he talks about are his brothers and the ladies he's pulling. He's the person you do NOT want to play in beer pong because he WILL WIN, and he WILL TALK ABOUT IT for the rest of time. He never wants to graduate, and he's probably spending most of his time staying in his college town, so he must be home for his mother's birthday or something important and temporary.
10. The High School Sweethearts
While they haven't gotten married yet, you know they will after they graduate. They've been dating all four years of high school, and now they go to school and are still dating. We all knew that they were the unbreakable couple; college couldn't even break them apart. Whether they go to the same school or different schools, they are still together and doing just fine. Stay in touch with these people, because they are going to have fantastic weddings after graduation!
11. The NEW High School Sweethearts
After they graduated high school, they went to separate schools or the same schools and realized they really liked each other. They've been dating for almost a year now and either we saw this coming or didn't expect it. It's cute to see them together in their pictures. Knowing that even going to college with a bunch of fish in the sea still led them to each other, and it says a lot.
12. The SQUAD
They all go to different schools, but visit each other on weekends, or they all go to the same school and are in the same sororities and fraternities. Wherever they are, they are still together. They take pictures saying they missed each other, while they really took the same picture last weekend. It's no surprise they are together on summer break, taking more pictures together. The group is inseparable. It's almost obnoxious that they are still all hanging out with the same people from high school. Some of them break off and make new friends after freshman year, but the rest stay a part of the SQUAD.
13. The MIA
We all know he or she goes to school, but there are little or no posts on social media to tell what they are doing. They broke off from their high school squads or never had one. Wherever they are, you kind of miss them. You wonder how they are doing and what they are doing. Seeing them at home is a rarity. When you ask your old friends where they went, they'll say, "Oh, she's been so MIA. I tried texting her a month ago, and she never replied."
14. The Basics
Their style is published all over Total Sorority Move. They're waltzing around in their t-shirts, Norts, monogrammed necklaces, Louis Vuitton purses, Kendra Scott earrings, monogrammed cell phone case, Ray-Ban sunglasses, polo baseball caps, and a cell phone full of pictures from last night. You only find them in the nicer parts of town, and they're usually shopping. Their sorority is their whole life and they've got a frat-daddy to match. However, being totally involved in Greek life isn't a downfall. They have established a lot of connections for jobs and internships or hold exec board positions. They have an array of new friends and while they wear a little too much brand-name items, they are happy.
15. The Artists
Whether they are in music, art or theater school, the marching band on the side, or in L.A. trying to make it, they're still doing what they love. Their art is inspiring and fun to look or listen to on social media. They just don't care how "practical" their major might be because they love what they do, and that's enough. While they're still in town, you might want to get their autographs because there is no way their talent will go unnoticed.
16. The Free-Spirits
They might still be in college, or they might not. They're traveling the world on study abroad or volunteer programs. Living life on the edge is what they do best, and a part of you wishes you had the courage they do. You give them a call to see if they want to hang out and they say, "Gosh I wish I could, but I'm currently on a safari in Africa, and I'm going skydiving next week! I'll be back in the states next year!"
17. The Overachievers
They have three majors. They have an internship every semester and every summer. They basically already have an income that pays for their college tuition. They're in honors programs, student government, Greek life, sports teams, college newspapers and somehow have the time to study abroad. They've got it all. They're majoring in business, government and engineering, but will probably go to medical school. Or law school. They can get into both. If you want to catch up for lunch they MIGHT pencil you in.
18. The Armed Forces
They graduated high school and decided to fight for our country. They're in ROTC at their university, go to a military-related university (Air Force Academy, West Point, Annapolis ...) or just went straight to boot camp. Some of the men will be the married ones, because their now-wives won't know when they are coming back. They're in the best shape of their lives, but what they do is harder than what most of us can handle. We thank them for that.
19. The Salesman/Saleswomen
They're selling all the weight loss and makeup products over Instagram and Facebook. The only reason they contact you or follow you on social media is to show you what they are selling and get you to buy it. It's almost as if your friendship with them is fake because they just need customers. They might also try to recruit you to sell the same product with them. They post eight times a day, and it's always transformation pictures of people using their products. Hopefully, this is just a way for them to pay for college expenses, and it's temporary.
20. The Lost Souls
They've changed their major five times. They've transferred once or twice. They need a little bit of assistance to get back on their feet because college wasn't as great for them as they had hoped. They might've done a little too much partying or didn't make great friends. While you're home, it's the perfect time to hang out with them and help them get back on track. You never expected they would end up this way, but figuring out what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives in four years was just too fast. They're taking a break to really think about it and find their way. Every college student falls into this category in some way because college is a lot to handle, and sometimes we break down under the pressure.
21. Your Best Friend
You'll never lose touch with them and no matter what category on this list they fall under, you'll always love them for who they are and support whatever they are doing. Seeing your best friend is uncommon because you go to different schools and only see each other through FaceTime. This short, summer break we have might be filled with other things to do, but no matter what, you always make time for that one special friend.
Going home for the summer makes you realize how different you have become and how much you have grown up. Seeing the high school kids graduating now or hanging out at your favorite places in town makes you realize how much you might miss it at times. High school may have been the best or worst years of your life, but there is some part of it that will always be with you, and you'll always feel like you're 17 again in your hometown.
