Education Report Roundup

Poll Tracks Memories of High School Years

By Sean Cavanagh — June 21, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Most of today’s adults enjoyed their time in high school, but wish they had made better academic use of those years, according to a survey of Americans age 18 or older.

More information on the poll, High School: Worst of Times or Best of Times,” is available from the Gallup Organization.

The telephone poll of a random sample of 1,000 adults nationwide—conducted by the Princeton, N.J.-based Gallup organization—found that 54 percent said they had a “great time” in high school, and 7 percent went so far as to describe their high school years as “the best time” of their lives. By comparison, 35 percent described their high school years as a “so-so time,” and just 4 percent recalled them as “the worst years” of their lives.

The adults polled expressed regret over not having pushed themselves more academically while in high school. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they wished they had focused more on grades in school, while only 16 percent indicated they wished they had devoted more time to “partying and having a good time.”

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz What Is the Average Teacher Salary for the 2024-25 School Year? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz Are You Keeping Up With Trump’s Big Changes to K-12 Funding? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz How Is Trump Changing School Discipline Rules? Take This Week’s Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 30, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read