We can all remember a time when entering high school seemed like it’d be the best years of our lives. Children’s T.V. and movies glamorized high school experiences and these four years were made out to be the “golden years”. Expectations were high and hopes to have a perfect high school experience were even higher.

“I think high school will be interesting,” said eighth grader Andre Benitez. “There will definitely be a lot more work but I’m still looking forward to it.”

“I’m excited to be part of a bigger school,” said seventh grader Jonathan Cheung. “Being part of a bigger school will help me make more friends in high school.”

Unfortunately, high school is not what many believed it would be. While high school is the perfect place to meet new friends and join new sports, it can often be too much to handle.

“Middle school was extremely easy for me and I barely had to do anything to remain at the top of my class so I had this ridiculous idea that I could cruise right through high school just like I did in middle school, but that’s so not true. I actually have to work extremely hard in order to get good grades,” said Junior, Isabel Benitez.

The workload has become overwhelming for some students and although they have fulfilled their goals of improving social lives, it becomes hard to balance academics and fun.

“I thought it was going to be really fun and exciting,” said Junior, Lillian Rickert “I thought there was going to be really cool people and there are some. I just didn’t expect to have so much work.”

Many middle schoolers bask at the idea of being allowed all the opportunities in high school. This was not the case for all fourteen year olds.

“I thought high school was going to be boring but I’ve realized that it’s anything but [boring]. There are lots of interesting people and clubs to participate in,” said Benitez.

Entering high school is mostly a time to reach personal goals. Some chose to strive to excel in academics and others work hard to play as a starter in their sports. Being involved with the many different things high school has to offer shapes high schoolers’ personalities.

“Throughout my years here, I think I’ve really grown as a person,” said Senior Elizabeth Cheung. “I met a lot of great people that influenced me in different positive ways. I can’t wait to see what college has to offer.”

Although many of our middle school expectations of high school were crushed in the process of becoming an adult, we have high school to thank for our personal feats. High school is the time to accomplish goals and to make memories. While it is hard to have fun sometimes in the midst of a busy week, it is important to remember that high school will pass in the blink of an eye.

“Looking back at it now, I wish I had done more the things I was planning on doing in high school,” said college freshman Emily Brenner. “I accomplished a lot in high school but you need to remember to always make time to have fun. It’s important to put down the pencil once and a while because before you know it, you’ll be spending days and nights at your university library.”