10. You Are a Part of a System
Whether it be the place you work or the country you live in, you are a part of a structured and orderly society. School could have seemed demanding in the sense that you were always required to dress a certain way, behave a certain way and respect an authority figure. But just as it is in school, countries have laws that citizens must obey and workplaces have bosses that may have you “called down to their office” at any given time of day. But luckily, school drilled it into you that no matter how unfair the system, you just have to smile and say, “Yes sir”.
9. No One Likes a Tattle-Tale
There was always that kid who would rat out the back-of-the-class gang for sneaking out of class, smoking during lunchtime or for any other seemingly normal teenage incident. But when the time came for the students to vote their peers into leadership positions, no one even thought twice about writing down the rat’s name. Just like that, co-workers would never opt to choose a project leader that would go running to the boss every time things didn’t go their way.
8. Pretty People Have It Easy
Remember that super pretty girl that set the bar for the rest of us? Or the George Clooney lookalike that all the guys despised but secretly wished to be? Yeah being compared to that unnaturally beautiful human being was rather unfair especially if your prime was any time except for high school. I have bad news for you; statistics show that good-looking people generally fair better at landing jobs as opposed to their less-pretty counterparts. Have a look for yourself here.
7. There Are Consequences to Not Meeting Deadlines
A rather obvious point but, nonetheless, it’s something most of us have learned as a result of school. Perhaps detention isn’t the worst that could happen; losing your job is. This is one of those very unlikely life lessons school taught you but its worth a hell lot. Once you start working you’d understand what we are saying here.
6. Embarrassing Uniforms Are Inevitable
For those of you who have never been forced to stick to a strict dress code have missed out on a valuable skill: how not to spit in your boss’s face when he shoves a yellow chicken costume into your arms. Of course, in reality, the worst that you had to wear was a terrible pleat skirt in school and, even so, it prepared you for the physical decency required at the workplace (which is not even that difficult to follow). Obviously if you end up wearing a chicken costume to work, your education must be lacking.
5. How to Sit Still Even Though You’re Dying to Scratch That Itch
One of those very unlikely lessons schools taught you. But yes, we’ve all been there. If you went to a strict military school like me, you will know the consequences that follow when you decide to whisper a comment to the person sitting next to you in the weekly assembly. Public humiliation would surely follow and perhaps six hours of detention as well. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit extreme. But when you’re in school, you have to sit still in class. Perhaps you will be grateful the next time it was your undisciplined co-worker and not you who got in trouble for not paying attention in a staff meeting.
4. Sometimes, You’ve Just Got to Be Strong
Believing in yourself to have the strength to deal with a situation is among those life lessons school taught you. When your boss doesn’t believe in your abilities, your co-workers don’t invite you to happy hour, or your spouse leaves you, just remember that you have been through this before. Your boss could be like that English teacher that could never see your point of view and your ex-spouse could be your first love that broke up with you when the time came for college. Sure, things are a hundred times worse now, but if you could do it then, you sure as hell can do it now.
3. Cliques Are Here To Stay
We’re sure this is not what you wanted to hear but this is, in fact one of the most useful life lessons school taught you. There’s the marketing crew who makes you think of those cool kids that you always wanted to be friends with back at school; there are the technical analysts who never quite out-grew their World of Warcraft personas; and there’s that strange guy in the cubicle next to yours who just won’t shut up about why we’re all damned to hell. Nothing new to see here folks!
2. Being Smart Isn’t Everything
Sure it could be to your advantage if you graduated top of your class and it feels good when everyone runs to you to solve a complex math equation, but the reality is that there is so much more to life. Success can be achieved in every shape and form. Those art junkies and football jocks could be excelling just as much as the valedictorian of your class.
1. High School Never Ends
Yup, that’s one of most significant life lessons school taught you. This list pretty much sums it up but in case you still don’t get it, here are the lyrics to the song by Bowling for Soup – “Four years you think for sure That’s all you’ve got to endure All the total dicks All the stuck up chicks So superficial, so immature Then when you graduate You take a look around and you say HEY WAIT ….. High school never ends. High school never ends. High school never ends. Here we go again.”
