Student Life

September 16, 2026 

Before starting high school, most students imagine it as the best or worst years of their lives. Full of opportunities, friends, parties, fights, and starting their path to independence. This image of high school movies is painted by unrealistic movies such as Duff, Mean Girls, and School of Rock, which some students believe. The difference between the imagined high school life and the reality is what makes high school such a surprising journey.

Growing up, everyone watched movies about high school, which showed crowded hallways, packed cafeterias, school dances, cliques, love, and drama. In many ways, these movies shaped our expectations of what the high school experience would be.

“Before I started high school, I expected it to be a lot more exciting and similar to what you see in movies,” senior Melanie Berdigay said. “Movies like High School Musical made high school seem like everything would fall into place and every day would be memorable."

Additionally, many movies show a lot of misleading information, that make people getting shoved into a locker appear normal.

 “ The biggest surprise was it’s more welcoming and friendly than I imagined,” senior Faith Brown said.

On the other hand, educational opportunities are not mentioned a lot in movies. Movies only show glimpses of failing or passing tests and rude teachers.

 “I expected it to be super hard and that teachers would be super strict and make you do a lot of work every day,” freshman Ben Baranic said. “But it's actually super chill.”

Movies highlight some of the worst parts of high school, showing the mean and brutal sides of campus. Movies like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Carrie, and The Karate Kid all highlight how bullies seem to be found at every school. While it is true there are some problematic people, they are nowhere close to those portrayed in movies.

 “I expected high school to be like the movies, with mean girls everywhere, but honestly, everyone just kind of does their own thing,” freshman Brooke Allerheiligen said. 

With thousands of students at South, it's very likely that you will meet new people through the four years of high school. The large campus gives students countless opportunities to meet new people, as well as see familiar faces.

 “I didn’t realize how much time I would get to spend with my friends and meet new people,” senior Davis Schildts said.

Overall, high school isn't exactly how some people thought it would be. It comes with new experiences and obstacles that are a lot different from the movies. Even then, high school is a great opportunity for students to grow into strong adults, while making memories along the way.