A TikTok video has sparked discussion online after user @celesteriemersma shared five things she hates about high school. The video has received 629,900 views and 841 comments. Going to school, especially high school, can be challenging. While social media, phones, and electronics such as tablets and laptops have changed the student experience, some frustrations have been around for generations.
In a “get ready with me” video, Celeste breaks down her list of grievances. The first item on her list? Paper homework.
“I hate when teachers will assign like, paper homework that's due the next class and then not post a reminder for it on Google Classroom. Like genuinely, how do you expect me to remember that at like the bottom of a pile of papers in my backpack?” she says.
Another issue she has is classroom phone policies.
“Another thing is I hate when teachers are like, overly needy about phones. Like, I get that you don't want us to be on our phones for the whole class. I have teachers that like, whenever I literally just like send a text real quick or check the time, they like make a big deal out of it in front of the entire class. I'm like, can you actually not?” Celeste says.
She also takes issue with younger male teachers who single out boys involved in sports.
“We could be having like dead silent like in-class work time and the teacher will literally just be like, so guys, how's the game last weekend? What are the plans for this weekend? What's going on with the sports? Like, just because you didn't have friends in high school and you didn't get onto a sports team that you wanted to be on doesn't make it less weird for you to try and be besties with your male students,” she says.
Groups of friends who block hallways and cafeteria walkways are another source of frustration for Celeste. She also dislikes being deliberately ignored by people she knows.
“I hate when I see someone I know and I know for a fact that they see me, and they don't even try to like, smile or say hi. They just like, walk past cause they think they're too cool to like, acknowledge someone,” she says.
Gum is her final gripe, and it seems like a frustration that will persist for generations. Pull out a pack at school, and suddenly everyone wants a piece.
“People that never share their gum or just are weirdly, like, protective about it. If you bring gum into a high school, people are gonna ask you for it. And if you don't want people to ask you, don't bring them,” she says.
Commenters Share Their Own School Rules and Frustrations
Some viewers pushed back on Celeste's complaints, particularly her frustration with teachers who don't post homework reminders.
“If ur planning on going to college the 1st thing she said is like expected of u ur professors r not going to baby u and send u reminders to do urwork[sic],” one user commented.
Another viewer suggested there could be a different explanation for people who don't say hello.
“Or maybe for the not saying hi one they just HATE to see people they know bc its awkward for them (speaking from experience),” they wrote.
Other commenters were surprised by the phone policies Celeste described, with several sharing examples of even stricter rules at their own schools.
“At our school if you have your phone at all during school hours you get detention and it gets taken away and you have to pay $5 to get it back,” one user said.
Unsurprisingly, Celeste's comments about sharing gum also sparked debate. While some viewers agreed with her, others questioned why the issue was such a big deal.
