Did you peak in high school?

[Itsfridayiminpub]

Or know people that did?

What are you/they like now?

The popular girls in my school were usually tall, in the top sets but not the very top, were slim, sporty, had long, usually blonde straight not frizzy/ curly hair and had boyfriends, usually older.

They mostly have boring jobs, but well paid, all married but mostly to quite average men, 2.4 DC's. Very middle aged.

@Allmyarseandpeggymartin same here. This was the 90s for me and I'm hoping the culture has changed. Girls (13yos+) used to sit on the wall in front of school and wait for 20+yo to come by in their lowered Vauxhall Nova/Corsas to pick them up. Loads of teen pregnancys. How was this allowed by the school or the parents?!

It took me a while to realise not every school was like mine!

No. I find my life has been like waves. A couple years of mostly mundane and then a couple of amazing things, repeat.

One awkward girl is making her name abroad as a punk singer.

I somehow misread that as a sink plunger. Need to put my glasses on.

Still climbing OP

Was bullied horribly at school, went through a lot of family drama at Uni, started climbing once I hit real life, massive dip post baby and then pulled it back.

I do have some silly fantasy of going back to school for a reunion and quietly showing off my superficially glam career, lovely family, home and friendship group.

But then I remember not to be a dick, so I don't.

I find keeping off social media helps keep up the fantasy that I'm yet to peak. For all I know the bullies at school are all Patagonia wearing, foster parenting, eco tech titans now (probably not though)

Absolutely... sailed through school achieving excellent exam results with almost zero effort... struggles at Uni and dropped out... v ordinary jobs/ SAHM/ even more ordinary job now... but actually fairly happy with where my life is now so can't complain...

To be clear... I only mean academically... I was not at all part of the popular or beautiful set!

I mean, she's squeezed into a small council house with eight kids and grandkids and always complaining on Facebook that the council won't rehouse her. So I dunno, you do the maths.

"That's the big fish small pond phenomenon I suppose"

Well, yes, there is that.

I wasn't even particularly good at school, just better than average, but average in a mixed ability school, went to an average uni, so once I was in a different atmosphere, I was the village idiot. Pretty difficult to accept and then you plunge into thinking you're totally worthless, which isn't quite true either.

Interesting because at my school anyone who did well, whether they studied or not, were considered swots and that was NOT cool.
One or two managed to make it not so bad by smoking/drugs other 'cool' things and giving the impression they didn't care at all.
So the popular teenagers were not the most academic. As adults I think they're successful because they can connect with people well so that helps them with relationships including working relationships.

"I mean, she's squeezed into a small council house with eight kids and grandkids and always complaining on Facebook that the council won't rehouse her. So I dunno, you do the maths."

Surrounded by family and possibly living in a close community. Might not be all bad.

Can I give my age away and say how anyone peaked with maybelline dream matte mousse being used is beyond me.

I found a old old old tub and my god that was the lightest colour and still had a lovely yellow tone (which doesn't exist anywhere in my skin tone)

But somehow some girls rocked it 😵‍💫

For some reason I've always associated this with America. Use of high school?

No, to be honest, I was very academic but riddled with anxiety. I did well at school and have a good group of friends from those days but I also travelled the world, lived overseas, went to uni, got married, that hit some snags.

I havent hit all of lifes milestones...I dont own a home or have children, but im quite happy and more confident than ive ever been.

In some people's eyes, possibly.

I was absolutely brilliant academically, still am. So people expected mighty things of me. But I loathe institutions and hoop-jumping, and I'm not remotely ambitious. So I was never going to follow the path they assumed.

I've earned a decent whack of money though, and I'm now happily chilling on the proceeds. I don't think I'll ever want to settle down to a career.

(isn't it strange that people think that about partners, but they all expect you to stick to a career path?)

39 and still waiting for the peak.

I think so far I was at my best looking around the age of 19/20. But I obviously didn't realise at the time.

No I peaked about 30-40 now mid forties going down hill !

No, my secondary school years were my trough. I was happy and a successful A* pupil at primary school. Then went massively downhill at a crap comp, eventually leaving without a single GCSE due to horrendous bullying which causes suicidal thoughts, complete withdrawal, no friends, etc. Once I left that crap comp, I picked myself up and started doing my GCSEs and then A levels via home study and evening classes alongside a minimum wage crap job, and started rebuilding a social life with clubs & societies, etc., and then did chartered accountancy qualifications again by self study and evening classes. My "high school" years were the worst years of my life. I "peaked" once I escaped that hell hole and got my education and career back on track!