The Ultimate 2000s High School Nostalgia Quiz

EDUCATION

By: Lauren Lubas

6 Min Quiz

Image: Denkou Images/Cultura/Getty Images

About This Quiz

The turn of the century was beyond an experience. Not only were we taking steps toward new technology and communications, we were desperate to have our own style and culture. Gone were the 1990s where we sampled from the fashions of past decades. Gone were the days we were bound to our homes. We suddenly welcomed the days we were bound to our phones, and phones became more than phones; they became computers. 

However, the 2000s weren't just about changing technology; our culture brought us some intense cheese factor. We were attempting to define ourselves through interesting hair styles, popcorn shirts, and lace-up jeans. We wanted everything to be our own, and for the most part, it worked out for us, but in other ways, it added heaping spoonfuls of groan-worthiness that we may be a little embarrassed about these days, especially if you were in high school during any part of that decade. If you've suppressed the memories of the cheesy 2000s, we invite you to watch the music video (they were a thing back then) of Vitamin C's "Graduation," and tell us how you feel ... or, you can just take this quiz and experience the ultimate 2000s high school nostalgia for yourself.

Do you know what kind of phone this is?

This was the hottest phone to have in the '00s (well, before the iPhone was released). However, they were terribly made and the screens broke within days. Way to waste $100 (yes, that's how much your phone cost back then).

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You may have screamed this on graduation night. What does "YOLO" stand for?

For the most part in the '00s, people would shout "YOLO" right before they did something stupid. It was an excuse to be careless. The term soon turned into a joke, as it was mostly used by idiots on the Internet.

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Who is this pop star you probably jammed out to on your way to class?

If you were in high school in the '00s, you saw a lot of great things from Fergie ... even if she peed her pants on stage. You were also a little jealous of her, because she got to marry Josh Duhamel.

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Can you name this prequel to Facebook?

MySpace basically gave everyone their own website. You could change the theme, play music and show your friends where they ranked in your life. If you were in high school in the early to mid 2000s, you were constantly on this website.

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Later in the decade, you would see these pants on men, do you know what they were called?

Of course, like consumers, skinny jeans came in all shapes and sizes, because they were for everyone. The 2000s wanted to break free from the loose fitting (sometimes too loose fitting) days of 1990s men's fashion. Hence, the skinny jean.

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You may have gotten over him by high school. Can you name this pop star?

Justin Bieber rose in the ranks of stardom as a child. He was considered one of the first YouTube sensations that made it big based on his fanbase before his record deal. While this is common today, you probably thought he was magical back in high school.

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Welcome to the turn of the century. Can you identify this mode of transportation?

Razor scooters were an excellent mode of transportation in early 2000s, and they are still sold today as a hot item. While they don't seem like much, you can do a lot of great tricks on them.

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What is this movie that you probably dragged your prom date to?

"Shrek" (2001) changed the way we look at fairy tales. As a matter of fact, the movie made fun of itself, shunning all fairy tale creatures from the kingdom and making an ogre the hero of the story.

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What store did you normally shop at if you were a little goth teen?

The greatest thing about Hot Topic was that it wasn't necessary to have odd places pierced to walk into the store. The store appealed to our nostalgia for cartoons of our childhood while it helped us embrace our dark sides.

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You probably knew girls who wore these boots in the summer, do you remember what they were called?

Uggs were a fashion statement that told people "I always want to be where winter is." They paired well with skinny jeans tucked into them. Not only were these boots to be comfortable, they were practical too.

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You know you graduated in the '00s if you got in trouble for playing this game. Do you remember the name?

It was a sensational game that came out in 2009 and changed our lives forever. We were glued to our phones and needed to beat just one more level. The franchise has since spawned cartoons, action figures and plush toys.

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Can you name this family who had a reality show when you were in high school?

For some reason, someone thought it was a great idea to put a man who can barely speak on TV. It was great watching this crazy rockstar handle his family, though. They were definitely an interesting bunch.

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What are these little bracelets you may have shared with your friends?

While some people might say that Silly Bandz were for kids, they were actually a really fun thing for teens in the 2000s. You could share them with those you cared about, and learn just who your friends are.

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Which site helped you "share" music after Napster?

For those of us who missed Napster for what it was worth, LimeWire swooped in to save the day. While we oftentimes downloaded corrupted files and viruses, we still got all the songs we wanted ... eventually.

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You may have worn these shoes if you cared about comfort more than style. Do you know what they're called?

If you're a fan of a certain celebrity chef, you know that crocs are the most comfortable thing you can wear on your feet. They are just so terrible to look at that they fell out of fashion rather quickly.

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If you were on his team, you really liked vampires. Who is this?

The "Twilight" series did a lot for teen girls (heck, even girls into their thirties loved it). Although it was about a overly solemn teen girl, it did give a great story about love and sadness and loss.

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You probably watched this more than "The Simpsons." What show is it?

"Family Guy" broke molds that "The Simpsons" created. It wasn't as crude as "South Park" (in the beginning anyway), but it tackled some pretty tough topics, including 9-11 and terrorism.

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Speaking of phones, can you identify this phone that replaced MP3 players?

The LG Chocolate phone came out just before the iPhone changed the world. The Chocolate was all about playing music for you and connecting to the Internet. While this concept wasn't unheard of back then, it was rather new.

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Who is this edgy comic that didn't mind talking about infidelity?

Dane Cook taught us a lot of things. One of the most important things he taught us is that there is always one mean girl in the group, and her name is always Karen. Karens across the country took offense, but their friends laughed, because it was true.

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Can you name this pop star who taught you how to spell bananas?

If you graduated earlier in the decade, you remember Gwen as a rockstar who married the gorgeous Gavin Rossdale. However, if you graduated later in the decade, you knew her as a pop star who was all about girl power.

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If you loved this book series, you either had a club or you pretended not to. What is it?

While this book series had a lot of attention throughout the '00s, you may have avoided getting made fun of by hiding the books from your friends. Don't worry, they did the same, because everyone loves Harry.

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Can you name this power couple that you with you and your prom date mirrored?

Though their marriage didn't work out, their MTV reality show was a terrible highlight of the boring life that superstars end up having when they aren't on stage. Many question how staged things are, as JS seems a little too dumb to be real on the show.

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What was this show about making people's cars look a lot better?

"Pimp My Ride" was a great show to watch when you were bored out of your mind. You could dream of the perfect car, but did it have a fish tank in it? Yes, it was a wonder how some of the things on that show even existed.

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You probably made one of these for someone you loved. What is it?

In the '80s and '90s, people gave mix tapes to profess their love for one another. However, with the changes in technology in the '00s, we were able to burn music onto CDs and give them to people.

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What catalog did you get sent to the principal's office for having in your locker?

While it wasn't complete nudity, this catalog got a lot of people in trouble for having some bare skin in their lockers. It was very close to illegal with scantily clad young people all over it.

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What kind of hat did Ashton Kutcher popularize while you were in high school?

Trucker hats were big and bulky, and they looked great on everyone. They were a huge fashion statement in the '00s when Ashton Kutcher, the star of "Punk'd" wore them on every episode.

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What trilogy excited nerds and jocks alike when you were in high school?

While many tried to translate the Tolkien classic to film, Peter Jackson took it out of this world. The trilogy grossed hundreds of millions of dollars and raised the bar for all fantasy production to follow.

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You talked to your friends on this ... what does AIM stand for?

AIM gave us the power to talk to our friends, ignore them or ask them to come back later ... because we couldn't turn off the messaging, we simply put up an away message to show people we had better things to do.

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Can you name this OG phone game from the early '00s?

This game was not impossible, but it took a lot of practice. It was the original game that kept kids plastered to their devices. It could be found on the pre-iPhone Nokia brick (does yours still work?).

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What is this contraption that helped you keep your memories before your phone did?

Before our phones saved hundreds of photos, we were forced to carry two devices on us at all times. Companies even started making "indestructible" cameras that you could fit in your pocket.

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Who were these rich girls who roughed it for a TV show?

"The Simple Life" was a "reality" show about two very rich girls who claimed they didn't know what Wal-Mart was. They did some crazy things that weren't legal, but the show aired it anyway.

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You were the envy of the girls' locker room if you had a back like this. What does the "C" stand for on this purse?

Coach was a middle to high end bag and accessory store for people who liked to spend a lot of money in the '00s. However, now the bags are all reasonably priced, even for their leather items.

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What did Napoleon Dynamite always say when he was frustrated?

Not many movies are set in Idaho, but this cult classic really showed us the way things were in a small town back then. "Napoleon Dynamite" (2004) is all about a teen that is just trying to make it in the world.

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Finally, what is the name of this movie that changed the way we look at cliques?

In the '00s, things started to change in high schools. While bullying still existed, cliques started to change dynamics. Being intelligent didn't necessarily mean you were a nerd, and being good at sports didn't mean you were stupid. "Mean Girls" helped with that change.

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Can you name this show that was super popular when you were in high school?

While "The O.C." considers itself a modern soap opera, the semi-reality show attracted a lot of attention. It was the modern version of "90210" that changed the game as it took on much more sensitive topics.

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This is how you got your exercise after skipping gym class. What game is this from?

Dance Dance Revolution made parents feel a little bit better about letting their children play video games. While the game wasn't very intricate, it did get kids off their butts and exercising.

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Do you remember the fastest way to text before full keyboards?

T9 texting was the first run at auto-correct that phones gave us. Soon, smart phones showed us that there was a better way to text, but it took a while, and if you tried to T9 without looking, you sent some pretty hilarious stuff.

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Do you know what these bracelets are?

It all started with Lance Armstrong, but it became something much more. When you wore these bracelets to school, everyone knew you donated to charity ... or that you looked cool.

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This piece reinvented the MP3 player. What is it?

iPods were amazing feats of technology. Before they came around, most people had no idea they could hold hundreds of songs on a little box that didn't even take CDs or cassettes. It was pure magic.

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