It’s safe to say that most people’s high school highlights aren’t from school itself, but more from the parties that we went to.

While they seemed super cool at the time, it’s pretty weird looking back on high school parties once you’ve experience the uni party scene. Here’s some things that happened at high school gathos that just won’t fly at uni.

Over The Top House Parties

Because we weren’t old enough to hit the clubs in high school, we’d attempt to bring the clubs to us. So much money was thrown into hiring out professional DJs, photographers and cool lights for these parties so we could feel older than we actually were.

Unless it’s a special occasion, uni house parties are nowhere near as extra as the house parties of our teenage years. The DJ is Spotify, the photographer is your iPhone, and fancy lights are out of the question.

Knowing Everyone At The Party

In high school, it was always the same people hitting up the same parties. You’d know everyone there because you spent five hours a day with them, minus the few randoms from other schools that tagged along with a friend.

It’s the complete opposite at uni parties. You’ll head out with your squad and be surrounded by strangers for the majority of the night. You might bump into two, maybe three other people you know, but that’s it.

Drinking Expensive Alcohol

The alcohol at high school parties is mostly bought by (or stolen from) parents, which means it’s usually pretty fancy and expensive. I remember being at a high school party where people were casually walking around with $60 bottles of Grey Goose like it was no big deal.

The best part about being at uni is that you’re old enough to buy your own alcohol, but the worst part is that you have to buy your own alcohol. When you’re funding your drinking habits, you start looking for the stuff with the highest alcohol content for the cheapest price, and goon punch becomes your go-to favourite cocktail.

Leaving Unfinished Drinks Everywhere

There are always tonnes of half-empty drinks scattered around high school parties. Since your parents supplied your alcohol, you weren’t protective of your drinks and didn’t mind if someone nicked it while you went to the toilet. You also didn’t feel bad for not finishing a drink you didn’t like too much.

Uni students will always finish their drinks, even if it tastes like shit, because we bought it with our good, hard earned money and can’t afford to waste it. Sometimes if we’re feeling particularly risky, we might go as far as taking random drinks left unattended around, because hey, a free drink is a free drink.

Not Getting Hungover

After a night of drinking in high school, you thought nothing of getting up at 6am, going for a run and having a productive day. You didn’t feel sick in the slightest, and couldn’t understand why people complained so much the morning after.

The hangovers you get in uni can be brutal, and you often spend the entire day after partying either in bed or over the toilet bowl. Nothing gets done, you feel terrible, and it’s all your fault because you just couldn’t resist those vodka shots.

Emily Steinhardt is currently studying Journalism and Communications at University of Queensland. She’s a Disney enthusiast who enjoys going out for brunch, taking photos of dogs and a good G&T. 

(Lead image: Can’t Hardly Wait/Columbia Pictures)