When we were little, most of us desired to grow up. The fantasy of being able to drive our own car, the yearning of being one of the “big kids” or just having the ability to make our own decisions without our parents. However, the truth is growing up isn’t as fabulous as it seems in the movies. Especially when it comes to high school.

When it comes to my LT experience, there is only way to describe it: tough. I find high school more anxiety provoking than enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, LT itself is a great school with a supportive community, encouraging teachers, and friendly classmates. However, the whole high school atmosphere of test, work, and stress is very overwhelming to me.

The main reason why I don’t enjoy the high school experience as much as others is because my stress peaks during the school year. Since I am constantly worried about tests and grades, I don’t get to see the positive sides of high school.

In the iconic movie “High School Musical,” the kids seem to have it all figured out. The movie gives the impression that high school is relaxed, and you have plenty of time to do everything you want. Troy Bolton was able to play varsity basketball and perform in theatre. This would be impossible because of how much of a time commitment those those two activities require. I play girls varsity basketball, and during the season, I have no time for other after school activities because of practices and games.

Furthermore, the Disney TV show, “Hannah Montana,” shows that Miley Cyrus has concerts on school nights. That is so unrealistic because there is no way she would have time to get her studies done while also being a part time rockstar. Moreover, entertainment like “High School Musical” and “Hannah Montana” give impractical expectations of what the high school experience is really like.

Going into freshman year I was excited to try all different activities, meet new friends, and have time for other things I enjoy- like in the movies. Now in high school, I realize that it was nothing like what Hollywood presents it to be.