Starting high school can be like diving into the deep end of a pool. You’re excited, a little nervous and unsure of what to expect.
For freshmen, those first days are all about making crucial first impressions.
Will you make friends? How will your teachers be?What if you get lost on the way to class?
These questions can make the high school experience feel like a rollercoaster.
But the first few weeks aren’t just about finding the cafeteria or deciding which clubs to join. They shape how the rest of your high school experience plays out. How you fit in, the friends you make and how you feel about school all start in those initial moments.
Many freshmen step into high school with expectations shaped by the media, where high school life is all about social cliques and fun.
Freshman Sydney Skinner observed, “I would say high school is more fast-paced than I originally thought.” Expectations like these come from how the media often ignore academic pressures and focus more on social life and extracurricular activities.
The media largely paints a vivid picture of high school, complete with famous cliques like the “popular girls,” “the nerds” and “the jocks.”
The media also portrays unrealistic expectations of having all the free time for friends and extracurriculars and doing whatever they want in high school. But the reality is not like that.
Every action you take in high school has consequences as it is designed to prepare you for the future, allowing you to shape your path based on your experiences.
What these TV shows or movies often don’t portray is the work it takes to maintain good grades and balance your extracurricular activities and friends.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “The average hours spent on homework per week by students who did homework outside of school is 6.8 hours.”
“I wasn’t expecting this much homework because I have homework every day,” mentioned freshman Jamaya Wilson. “It’s so much work that you don’t have time for much else.”
For instance, in TV shows like “Gossip Girl” and “High School Musical,” teenagers are depicted as rarely working, spending all their time with friends, and effortlessly gaining admission to top colleges, which is unrealistic.
Skinner also said she was told, “That high school is fun, the setting is a lot different than middle school. I originally believed I would make many friends. I also thought high school was going to be some of the best four years of my life.”
Since the media often portrayed less of kids learning and more of them having fun, freshman Isabella Contreras said, “My expectations were of less guidance and for the teachers to act nonchalant about their students.”
Entering high school with these expectations can be challenging. H-F, with its 95-acre campus and more than 10 major buildings, presents its own set of challenges. “Finding my classes was harder than expected because the layout of the building is hard to follow,” said Contreras. ‘The biggest surprise was the setup, going from building to building every day.”
Overall, the transition to high school has been a mix of excitement and nervousness for many freshmen at H-F. While initial expectations often stemmed from movies and TV shows, the reality has proven to be both challenging and rewarding.
Wilson points out, “H-F has a good positive vibe; it’s such a great community that everybody is together, not divided.” The early days of high school may be filled with uncertainties, but they also provide opportunities for personal growth and lasting friendships. By adjusting expectations and embracing the journey, students can make the most of their high school experience.
