I'm a bit long in the tooth, so perhaps my experience is colored by time and nostalgia; but I found high school to be where I learned the most in terms of academics. It was where I had an outstanding English teacher who taught me to write with both passion and with a clarity that I cherish. A Biology teacher who helped direct my attention to subjects that helped me fill in gaps in my understanding of our world. A History teacher that guided me towards challenging the status quo, in questioning sources and understanding motivations. This is just a small sampling of the best classes, and obviously ignores the most dull and uninspiring teachers. Highschool was hell for me in so many ways, but academics was the least of the reasons.