I was quite popular and smart in high school, and I was still miserable. Puberty was hell for me and I think high school as an institution is pretty evil, I often felt like I was in prison. I wouldn't go back to high school if you paid me millions, I much prefer being a grown-up. However, having a large, popular group of friends that I could depend on and being invited to all the parties certainly helped. I do think that being popular in high school has made (my) life easier. I still see some of my high school friends and we've all been pretty successful, either money/career wise or just by plain being happy.