One of the most memorable aspects of elementary and middle school were the somewhat frequent school field trips. During those formative years, a handful of fun journeys were essentially guaranteed each year. These trips seemed to deescalate each year until high school where the idea of a field trip is nearly extinct.

The biggest reason field trips are less frequent in high school is the large variety of classes students can take. The majority of field trips are limited exclusively to certain electives that only a small amount of people take the course. However, as a counter, these less periodic trips are much bigger than the field trips of old.

When a student goes on a field trip through a sport or elective they are not only going to crazier locations for longer amounts of time, but they have more freedom as well. “I like high school field trips more” accounted junior Jack Ricketts, “I’ve had a ton of fun traveling with my wrestling team.” 

In addition to being grander, high school field trips are also more themed toward the class and serve a greater purpose in learning. Many field trips in elementary school were random expeditions to break up the monotony of in-class learning. They rarely related to any subject matter in school.

In high school field trips almost always serve a direct purpose related to the class or sport it represents. “My band field trip to Paris in the summer was fun exploring the city, but also the competition we played in,” remembered junior Rock Ward. In high school, a field trip is not only fun but can add to a student’s learning experience.

Although the culture around field trips changes in high school, it’s a beneficial change. The less frequent field trips may leave some disappointed, but when a field trip does occur it makes the event so much more enjoyable.