It has been about two weeks into the school year already. Entering high school as an upperclassman, I have recognized times in my first two years where high school were a mess, and not in any way what I had expected. I hope this list can help provide any misconceptions about high school some underclassmen may be able to learn from.
1. I'll remain best friends with people from middle school.
To say the least, I had about four considerably close friends in middle school. I am not a very outspoken person and it is highly unlikely that I will start a conversation with a person I am unfamiliar with. A few things may draw you apart from your middle school squad, maybe it is that you all are in different classes and never cross paths or maybe you all are participating in different sports. Whatever the case may be, you guys may drift apart and go in separate directions. I am also here to let you know it is OK. Meeting new people, and expanding my horizons was one of the best things to happen to me so far in high school, and now I am friends with a group of people who accept me as I am, and while I may still talk to some of my friends from two years ago on occasion, I have developed more as a person without them, and I am content with who I am now than how I was then.
2. I'll be able to get away without studying.
Classes get harder in high school. Teachers are not as lenient to let work be handed in late or partially unfinished. I am probably the worst procrastinator I know of but as soon as the workload hit for high school, I had to become more productive. I had also joined a sport that took away two hours of my day after school. I would consider myself of slightly higher than average intelligence, but I was certainly not blessed with the gift to get great grades on tests without putting effort into studying. The good thing about high school is that you get to learn new study habits. Although classes may seem boring at times, the information you learn about is quite interesting to know about, even if you do not believe the knowledge might not be practical.
3. I'll have a thrilling romantic life straight out of a storybook.
I like to read. A lot. In fact, most of my expectations for high school came from the fictional novels I read in elementary and high school. I thought the second you get a boyfriend (or girlfriend), you would remain with them all four years, and be able to go on fantastic adventures with them. I was going to be Bella searching for her Edward. Yeah, no. To be fair, I don't really need to have a relationship, or have time for it. I have to remain fully focused on my sports, work and myself if I am to successfully make it through high school fully intact. I have plans for college after these remaining two years, and to be honest, most high school relationships are messy. Kudos to you if you can maintain a high school relationship, and balance social pressures, work and basically your life because I certainly can not.
4. Sports would stink.
I danced for nine years until I quit after the sixth grade. I never really got into sports again before my freshman year. A couple of friends convinced me that I should join the field hockey team, and I can honestly say that joining the team was the best decision in my life. I am surrounded everyday by girls who care about one another, and can joke about teachers with you without the stigma of being in different grades surrounding you. It does not become awkward when a freshman asks a senior for advice, instead, it creates an atmosphere of acceptance and kindness for everyone. I have worked hard to get better at playing the sport itself, and it provides a healthy outlet for venting out a rough day when your stick slams a ball to the back of the goal cage. I will, however, acknowledge the fact that sweaty shin guards are the stinkiest items of equipment on the planet.
5. Illegal activities would not become a problem in high school.
Needless to say, on this one, I was naive. I live in a district where the school is praised for its high standards on academics, so I believed that people are smarter here so they are less likely to break the law. I thought partying was more of a senior year thing as a celebration for the end of high school, and maybe only a few people would have alcohol. The reality is that there are at least two parties a month, and each have a continuous flow of alcohol being served to unsupervised minors. I thought drugs would be sold in other towns, and never meet a person who smokes weed or anything of the sort in my school. It is not unheard of to hear a story of a classmate showing up high to school high. I personally, have not attended any parties that participate in illegal activities. I believe when you drink in high school, you are putting your entire future at risk. People succumb to peer pressures, and drink when their friends are or just to try it for fun. Although some of the best people I know do drink, I do not think anyone should just to prove themselves, or to try and experience it as 'preparation' for college.
6. Depression was not something me or my friends should worry about.
Going into high school, all I knew of mental illness was that people hurt themselves to feel better. Two girls had gone to a rehabilitation center in middle school, but beyond that, I did not quite understand the terms of anxiety and depression. But it is very real. One girl tried to take her life during freshman year. She is a strong, independent and gorgeous girl I am still lucky to call my friend. The pressures of high school are tremendous, and it takes a lot out of a person. People feel social pressures from their friends and the work becomes almost incomprehensible and unmanageable. Days go by longer, years are shorter and so much is demanded out of you for nine months. Some people just can not balance that all at once. I would say I have developed some social anxieties about how others view me as, and whether or not colleges will accept me into their schools. I just feel the need not to let others, or myself, down. If you ever feel alone in the world, or you can not handle that one course, take a moment, and talk to somebody you trust about it.
7. High School Musical is not real.
Childhood crushed. Okay, I did not actually believe that dancing on table tops or large choreographed musical numbers would occur, but I did believe that everyone would come to be accepting of other peoples differences. People are judgmental in high school, but the people in the real world are even more so. The trick is to surround yourself with people who encourage you to be yourself, make you feel special, and who respect who you are as a person. Live your life as you are, and dance to your own HSM soundtrack.
