19 Things West Virginians Did in High School That Would Be Embarrassing Now

At the time, everything we did in high school seemed cool, normal, or even groundbreaking. But looking back?

A lot of those things were downright embarrassing.

Whether you graduated in the ’80s, ’90s, or 2000s, chances are you’ll recognize yourself in at least a few of these.

Here are the things West Virginians and Americans across the country did in high school that would be mortifying if we tried them now.

Overusing Hair Gel

At some point, every high school bathroom smelled like a chemical spill of LA Looks or Dep hair gel. Guys spiked their hair so stiff it could probably deflect hail.

It seemed stylish then, but walking around with hair sharp enough to injure someone would definitely raise eyebrows now.

The irony is, those crunchy spikes were always collapsing by third period anyway.

Modern us would call it a hazard, not a hairstyle.

Blasting Music on Portable CD Players

Walking down the hall with a Discman clipped to your jeans was the ultimate status symbol. You had headphones the size of earmuffs, and you’d strut like you had your own soundtrack.

Of course, one wrong step and the CD skipped ten times.

People today would never survive carrying around an entire binder of scratched discs just to keep the vibe alive.

Now that everything fits on a phone, the idea of lugging 30 pounds of music in a zippered case seems laughable.

Writing Song Lyrics in Notebooks

Many bored high schoolers filled notebook margins with dramatic song lyrics.

From Linkin Park to Alanis Morissette, those scribbles felt like diary entries written for the world to discover.

Reading them back now feels painfully over-the-top. No one needed to write “I walk a lonely road” twelve times on a math worksheet.

It was therapy at the time, but now it just looks like melodrama with bad penmanship.

Hanging Posters from Teen Magazines

Bedroom walls doubled as shrines to whoever was on the cover of Tiger Beat or Rolling Stone.

Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Leonardo DiCaprio all stared down at us while we did homework.

We taped them up proudly, corners curling and Scotch tape leaving permanent marks on the paint.

If adults wallpapered their bedrooms with glossy magazine cutouts today, their guests would be calling someone for a wellness check.

Recording TV Shows on VHS

If you missed your favorite show, you had to set the VCR timer and pray. Half the time, you came home to find you taped two hours of the Weather Channel instead.

Tapes were bulky, unlabeled, and constantly in danger of being recorded over by your sibling.

Still, there was something thrilling about owning grainy reruns of Dawson’s Creek.

These days, with streaming at our fingertips, the idea of fumbling with VHS tapes feels embarrassing.

Overplucking Eyebrows

Every high school bathroom had a friend with tweezers and zero mercy. Pencil-thin brows were the standard, and we thought they were glamorous.

The problem?

Half the time they didn’t grow back. Looking at yearbook photos today is a reminder that some trends should stay buried.

Overplucking was a group activity, and yet somehow nobody stopped us.

Carrying Chain Wallets

Chain wallets were meant to look cool, rebellious, and a little dangerous. In reality, they just made you sound like a walking set of car keys.

Every step in the hallway was a jingle-jangle parade.

Teachers hated them, parents rolled their eyes, and yet everyone insisted on wearing one.

Try wearing one now at a business meeting. You’d be escorted out politely.

Spray-Painting Shoes or Backpacks

Customizing sneakers or backpacks with spray paint or White-Out was the ultimate form of self-expression.

Slogans, doodles, band names—nothing was safe.

We thought it looked edgy. In hindsight, it looked like vandalism performed by someone with too much study hall.

Most of those “custom jobs” washed off in the rain anyway.

Writing Notes Instead of Texting

Before cell phones took over, we passed folded notes in class like they were classified documents. Every note had arrows, doodles, and dramatic sign-offs like “LYLAS” (love you like a sister).

The risk of a teacher intercepting one added high stakes.

Nothing was more humiliating than having your crush’s doodled name read out loud to the class.

Looking back, those notes were basically low-tech texts with way too many hearts.

Wearing Three Polo Shirts at Once

The layered polo trend was peak high school fashion.

Collars popped, sleeves bunched, and nobody stopped to ask why wearing three pastel shirts at once was necessary.

At the time, it looked preppy. Now, it looks like you lost a bet at American Eagle.

The triple-polo era is best left in the past, along with puka shell necklaces and frosted tips.

Burning Mix CDs

Few things felt more personal than making a mix CD for someone. You spent hours curating songs with titles that spelled out hidden messages.

Of course, the marker on the disc always smudged, and sometimes your heartfelt playlist cut off halfway through track seven.

Today, sending someone a Spotify link doesn’t carry the same drama.

But it also doesn’t skip if you hit a pothole.

Wearing Overloaded Keychains

Every teen had a keychain collection so heavy it could double as a weapon.

There were lanyards, mini stuffed animals, glitter charms, and about seventeen house keys for one house.

Jangling down the hallway with your keychain army felt important. Now, it would just look impractical and loud.

Most of those trinkets came from vending machines and mall kiosks that don’t even exist anymore.

Putting Gel Pens to Work

If your notes weren’t written in glittery gel pens, were you even in high school?

Entire binders were color-coded in neon and metallic ink.

The pens always ran out at the worst moment, leaving your essay half-sparkly and half invisible.

Now, using a glitter pen at work would just confuse your coworkers.

Wearing Cologne Like a Weapon

High school hallways reeked of Axe body spray and Bath & Body Works mists.

People sprayed themselves so heavily it was basically a defense mechanism.

Instead of a light spritz, it was a full-body fog. Entering the gym locker room was like walking into a chemical cloud.

These days, that level of scent would get you banned from most offices.

Using Screen Names

AOL Instant Messenger defined an entire era. Screen names like “Sk8rBoi92” or “LilPrincessXOXO” were badges of honor.

We agonized over away messages, quoting song lyrics like cryptic diary entries.

Looking back, most of those screen names were cringeworthy. Try putting one on a business card today.

They were embarrassing, but also a rite of passage.

Wearing Belts as Accessories

These weren’t functional belts. They didn’t hold up pants.

They were neon, studded, and often layered two at a time over low-rise jeans.

They squeaked when you sat down, clashed with every shirt, and yet somehow were considered stylish.

Pulling that move today would just confuse everyone.

Taking Glamour Shots

Mall photo studios promised “glamour” but delivered awkward poses, feather boas, and soft-focus filters.

Teens lined up to be photographed like aspiring soap opera stars.

Parents proudly displayed these in living rooms, unaware that their child looked like an extra in a perfume ad.

Looking back, it’s hard not to laugh at how serious everyone took them.

Using Spray Sunscreen Inside

High schoolers discovered spray sunscreen and treated it like body spray.

People doused themselves in locker rooms, leaving the entire place smelling like coconut and regret.

It wasn’t protecting anyone from the sun, but it did leave slick spots on the tile.

These days, spraying yourself indoors would get you scolded instantly.

Chain Emails

High schoolers once believed sending a chain email to ten friends would bring good luck, or worse, avoid a curse.

People spammed inboxes with promises of romance or doom.