Freshman year: “the start of something new”, crowded hallways and sweaty students; there are the geeks, the athletes, the drama buffs, the popular girls, the future presidents, and the people with no group. The anticipation of beginning a new year in a new school, and making new friends, is enough to make anyone extremely nervous. But no matter which angle I look back on my High School (HS) experience, it was nothing like High School Musical (HSM) said it would be. HSM told me I’d be in a star-crossed relationship (wherefore art thou Romeo?!), and that everyone stuck to the status quo. But unfortunately, my experience was nothing like HSM, and it boils down to four main truths.
You won’t be ostracized for wanting to be an athlete and an actor.
HSM made me believe that I couldn’t be both an athlete and an actor, which is strange because I was both my whole life. High school allowed you to discover who you were and what your passions are; there is no need to shut off the power supply so you can sing a duet; coaches are pretty understanding, and understudies exist.
“Star-Crossed Lovers” aren’t as shameful as people make them out to be.
Love is love is love! You do you and at the end of the day, it is completely up to you who you love. No need for interventions or dramatic songs (although, who doesn’t love when people break out in song?!). You and your partner could be the next “high school sweethearts”, who met during karaoke (talk about a meet cute!!)
Your summer job with classmates won’t be that fun.
I worked at my town pool with some of my high school friends and although it was a #gt, there were definitely no pool parties with Miley Cyrus or fabulous midnight swims or cute outfits and go-karts; nope! Instead, we were sunburnt, and wore uncomfortable guard suits and (comfortable) sweats.
No one breaks out into song about the struggle of high school.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST ONE TO HANDLE! No one, and I mean no one, just breaks out into song. Yeah there will be an occasional hum in the hallway or girls being completely annoying, screaming down the halls, but I want a Gabriella singing a sweet ballad while walking down stairs, and I want a Troy singing a show stopping tune. In addition, the only rendition of “summer” that was in my school was when we did it at the end of the school year, but it wasn’t as good:(
High school was fun, it truly was, but it would have been a whole lot better if I had Troy Bolton pictures in the hallways, or Zeke making me Crème brûlée.