As a kid, you imagine high school to be like the movies: singing in the hallways, spontaneous musical numbers, dramatic moments in the cafeteria. Walking into school as a nervous ninth grader, you hope for excitement but brace for the worst: piles of homework, strict teachers, and the looming fear of being picked on. You try to project confidence, but inside, you’re wondering if you’ll ever find your place.
As a student, you quickly realize something more significant: high school isn’t like the movies at all—it is so much more profound. Sure, the sleepless nights and stress-induced breakouts are real. However, just as real are the inside jokes with friends, the last-minute cramming sessions that somehow turn into bonding moments, and the quiet victories that no one else sees.
Unbeknownst to our naive freshman selves, high school turns out to be a collection of a million little memories. Some loud, like cheering at a basketball game, hyping up a friend who thought they were going to fail but ended up acing a test, or laughing way too hard at something ridiculous said at the lunch table. These are the moments that feel monumental, the ones you can look back on with a smile and instantly feel the warmth of. Yet, some are quieter: the bus ride back to school after the last game of the season, staring out the window while everyone else talks, knowing that you’re all experiencing something fleeting and meaningful together. A hug that says more than words could. Or those silent, knowing glances in class when something happens and you both know you’ll talk about it later, maybe when the bell rings or when the chaos dies down.
These are the experiences that shape who you are. Contrasting the extravagant scenes you may have pictured, these are the moments defining the high school experience. In the end, they far outweigh the stress, the sleepless nights, and everything you dreaded walking into LM as a fearful freshman. High school may not be the fantasy you imagined, but it’s something even better. It’s real. It’s messy, imperfect, and full of small, unforgettable moments.
Just like that eight-season TV show that you binge-watched in two weeks, high school flies by whether you realize it or not. One day, you will look back and realize how much has happened and how many moments have passed in what feels like the blink of an eye. Before you know it, it’s over, and you’re left at the season eight cliffhanger, not knowing what happens next—we’re at the end of what we’ve become so familiar with over these last four years, facing the unknown of what comes next. The future is a cliffhanger we can’t skip, but just like any good story, it’s the anticipation of what’s to come that makes the journey worthwhile.
