Take a trip back to eighth grade and remember all your dreams of what you thought high school would be like. Now take a look around.
The media has done an excellent job of distorting the reality of high school through movies and books. Students then have a false perception leaving them to be a little blindsided as they enter into the real version of high school where singing and dancing do not take place regularly in the cafeteria.
Cliques are one aspect of high school that is horribly misrepresented. We see the way the nerds, the popular kids, the preppy kids, and the stoners (just to name a few) are all shown huddling in their own corners of the school only interacting with their kind. High school is a time where everyone is essentially in the same boat as we all experience the same things together. While there are some unwritten yet clearly defined social lines about who is who, there is nothing that comes close to what is portrayed.
Have you ever noticed how academic standards are virtually nonexistent in movies other than the sporadic test or project that a character must get a good grade on in order to achieve something bigger? Did Troy and Gabriela have to pass their SATs? While that is inconclusive, normal students face a lot more stress and pressure as their entire high school career is spent striving for high grades. Academic standards are not represented well as society focuses more on the social struggles students have the potential to face.
Contrary to popular belief, high school is not all about dating. Shows and movies depict high school as hub for teenage sweethearts and couples and the only gossip that floats around is who is with who. While dating is a popular and common activity, especially among teenagers, not everyone participates and not everyone is interested in dating. The truth is, some students find it difficult enough to deal with the load they have and finding room for a boyfriend or girlfriend creates an added issue.
Getting involved in school whether in sports, clubs, or other activities is a vital way to tune in to school spirit. It is an almost universal rule in both books and movies that a student can only participate in one extracurricular activity. In reality this is anything but true as each individual student can have various interests and they are often involved and have more than just one hobby at school.
One major element that society just cant seem to acknowledge is the responsibilities and standards that students must live up to. When was the last time you watched a cliché high school movie and felt that you could connect with the main character about the amount of stress they were facing due to their academics? That character was most likely feeling stress about some petty issue involving their significant other.
If High School Musical has showed us anything true, and that is a large stretch, it’s that high school can be fun even without all the theatrics.
Lauren Johnston // Back Page Editor
