Growing up, high school sounded like a blast.

Once my eighth-grade year came to an end, I was excited to know that my high school experience was coming up in no time.

But like most students on their first day of high school, I was let down and my expectations were not met.

I was disappointed with how my first day went, especially when I got home and realized how much homework I already had.

The movie “High School Musical” clearly did not give an accurate representation of what high school is like.

I understand that movies are dramatizations of the real world.

However, they leave big impressions.

The events I have seen in high school movies are total misconceptions.

Movies should show the reality of high school so people do not get their hopes up.

High school is not an easy, breezy joyride like the movies portray.

Yes, high school can be fun at times, but there are many times that it can be scary, stressful, and misgiving.

I personally have had more stress than relief throughout my high school career.

I never expected that high school would determine how the rest of my life would go.

In movies, high school is presented as a place where everyone is friendly to one other, but that’s not exactly true.

At KHS, I never ran into that mean bully who asked for my lunch money, but I have butted heads with people.

Most students do anything they can to fit in and be a part of something in high school, but this sometimes means giving into peer pressure that impacts people’s lives.

There were many situations I ran into where I felt uncomfortable. Some of these scenarios are in movies, but they are portrayed as a good thing.

Once I realized high school was a roller coaster, I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders.

After getting some experience, I soon began to feel more comfortable with everything going on in school.

Although movies do sometimes include these situations, they do not always emphasize how big they can actually be.

So as a forewarning, stay away from groups of people who aren’t going to help you succeed in life.

Take chances in high school and enjoy every moment of it while being smart at the same time. It goes by fast.

Movies raise young people’s expectations for high school, only for these hopes to be lowered.