Crowded hallways packed with unsmiling students, twisting corridors that lead to dead ends, and looming upperclassmen that possess no mercy. Fully adjusted to middle school, freshmen can be unnerved by the change in environment in the beginning of their high school adventure. In addition to rumors passed down from generation to generation, the media plays a large role in creating an image of high school in the minds of freshmen. However, many aspects of this often unrealistic representation prove false when compared to the realities of high school.
The typical media portrayal of high school often includes many of the same aspects. Movies and television series frequently show highly exclusive social groups dominated by stereotypes (such as the jocks, nerds, skaters, etc.). Among other situations, students getting crammed into lockers and thrown into trash cans are also popular depictions. “Most shows make [high school] seem very intimidating; you’re a small fish in a big pond,” says freshman Julise Hall. Although all of the portrayals may not be completely untrue, freshman Oliver Al-Shamari says, “They definitely exaggerate the facts.”
With frightening scenarios engraved into their minds, many Aragon freshmen find themselves pleasantly surprised with the realities of high school. Freshman Aleana Abou-Ata says, “Everyone said the teachers don’t care [so] you have to figure everything out on your own, but that wasn’t true—they actually help out a lot.” Adds freshman Alexander Koshy, “I was a little bit nervous for the bullying because I’m short, but there isn’t a lot of it from what I’ve seen.” Contradictory to yet another popular belief freshman Tali Havin adds, “I’d heard about Freshman Friday, but I kind of knew that it wouldn’t happen.”
Despite the myths that often prove false, certain qualities about high school can also end up somewhat true. For one, the consistent designs of the hallways and classrooms and the seemingly confusing room numbers at Aragon require getting used to for some freshmen. “All of the classes and hallways look the same to me, so sometimes I don’t know where I’m going,” says Havin. Regarding the work Koshy says, “[high school] is a lot harder than I expected.” Also regarding middle school, Al-Shamari adds, “Most of my friends went to San Mateo High School, so I miss [not having them around].” Freshman Savanna Cyr says, “I pretty much expected a fresh new start, and that’s what I wanted.”
Furthermore, both pleasant and unpleasant revelations appear to freshmen once high school actually begins. “[I was surprised by] how much we have to run in P.E.,” says Havin. Also, since it is rarely available in middle school, swimming for physical education often surprises freshmen. “Swimming [shocked me] because we have so little time to take a shower and change,” says freshman Rania Hindi.
Cyr was surprised by the lack of school spirit saying “We’re not as spirited as San Mateo and we’re not as bad as some other schools, but during spirit week [almost] no one dressed up.” On a more positive note, “There are so many different clubs [which means] you can make new friends with the same interests as you,” says Koshy. Similarly, Anthony Kalife says, “The amount of people is a lot more than I thought, [so] I’m excited to meet different people.” The aspect that surprised freshman Kailee Torres the most was: “Classmates with beards.”
Despite the media’s embellished twist on the realities of high school, most students quickly differ between truth and fiction. Even with certain myths debunked, high school is still a brand new environment that requires an adjusting process for all freshmen. The duration of this assimilation differs from student to student. While certain students already feel fully adjusted to high school, others still aim to familiarize themselves with certain aspects of high school. Kalife says, “I’m somewhere in the middle—I’m getting there but I’m not completely used to it yet.”
