High School Parties: Yes or No?

High school parties are often referred to as “Part of the High School Experience”, but is this truly the case?

In my opinion, it’s not.

High school parties in theory are fun: it’s a place where teenagers can hang out, meet new people, dance, and party! But when you actually walk through the doors of a suburban house on a Friday night, this is not normally the case.

There have only been a handful of High school parties I’ve genuinely enjoyed attending, and that’s because they weren’t the classic “high school party”. It was a group of about 10 or 15 of my friends instead, which was much more fun. When attending a party with 50 or even 60 people packed inside one tight space, it not only gets super overwhelming, but it simply isn’t entertaining. People tend to huddle in groups of those they’re friends with, so you don’t usually make authentic new connections with people.

I tend to notice that, after a night out going to a party, I don’t feel my happiest or most fulfilled. I feel much happier hanging out with my close friends and doing something I truly enjoy, or staying home and working on something that I know makes me feel either passionate or content.

This being said, the “build-up” of going to a party in the evening is probably the most fun part. I always find myself excited to go to one, then let down when I actually attend.

I think that high schoolers should experience a “party” if that’s something they think they’d be interested in, but don’t pressure yourself into it. It isn’t what Hollywood portrays it as.

✦ Sophia Rundle