High School in Books/Films vs. High School in Real Life

If you’ve read a YA book or seen a film with teenagers, you’ll know that high school is portrayed very differently than it actually is.

Today, I’m comparing high school in books and film to high school in real life. This is meant to be fun and humorous (and a little sarcastic), not critical.

Disclaimer: I will be comparing the fictional schools to how schools are in the United States, specifically the west coast.

Cliques

For this one, it’s not entirely untrue, but it’s not the most realistic. There are cliques and you can see some of them together at lunch, but it’s not like in the movies. You know how in books, the school cafeteria is described by where all the separate cliques sit? And then in movies, they all walk around the school together and the jocks and popular girls act like they own the place? Yeah, that’s not how it works.

The Stereotypical Kids

to name a few/the most common ones

Nerds

I am self proclaimed nerd and I am not one of those “weird, uncool” kids you see in TV shows and movies. Nerds don’t wear button down shirts and slacks to school as if they’re dressed in a school uniform. And not all of them have glasses, braces, and horrible acne. I happen to have two out of three, and sometimes three out of three, but that’s just a coincidence.

The Mean Girl(s)

Everyone seems to know the mean girl and her friends/people who just follow her around, and that you should never get on her bad side. In reality, the school is usually too big for everyone to know this one person. And there are always more than one mean girl. Unless you go to a really small high school; then there might only be one.

The Jocks

The jocks are known to be near the top of the social chain. They’re usually pretty popular, especially the football team. They always wear their uniforms, even when it’s the off season and they have no games. This is not very realistic. I mean, yeah, the football guys are usually well-known and they do wear their uniforms, but only on game days. Same goes for cheer, dance, marching band, etc. They’ll wear their uniforms or shirts on the day they have a game or performance. Oh, and jocks in films can be known to be bullies to the nerds.

Lockers

You know how when people are at their lockers in film, they’re always standing? Does no one have bottom lockers? I have a bottom locker at school and I always have to kneel on the ground to get things from it. And why are they so big? In some films, you could fit an entire person in someone’s locker! Also, I’m not entirely sure about this one, but in films, everyone’s locker is all dressed up and decorated with pictures and mirrors and wallpaper. I know some people at school who decorate their lockers, but it’s not that common. I don’t decorate my locker and neither do other people I know. My locker isn’t really something that I put a lot of effort into it. It just holds my stuff that I don’t need.

That Embarrassing Moment That Everyone Knows About

It seems like after a huge, embarrassing moment, the whole school knows about it by the next day. Yes, news travels fast around the school, but if the incident wasn’t that big, I doubt people are going to know about it. However, if the incident was really big or a lot of people saw it, well . . . you’re out of luck.

Homecoming/Prom King and Queen

Fictional stories always make homecoming/prom king and queen such a big deal. It’s this huge thing that involves a whole campaign so everyone will vote for you. But really, it’s not that much of a big deal. I don’t pay that close attention to my school’s homecoming court when it comes. Usually, I don’t know any of them.

High School is the Most Important Part of Your Life

This is perhaps one of the most unrealistic parts of high school that gets portrayed. Everyone talks about how high school is the most important part of your life and how you’ll want to look back on your high school years later. The truth: no, you won’t. That’s what college and the rest of your life is for. Experiencing the world once you’re out of school is so much more fulfilling then your teenage years in school. Most people in high school are just trying to survive. And there are things that you want to experience in high school, but it’s not going to be the highest point in your life. Basically, high school is all about surviving and making the best out of a less than pleasant situation.

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Can you think of any unrealistic high school portrayals?
What’s the truth at your school?