Things the Movies Get Wrong About High School/College

Iconic shows and movies like High School Musical, Gilmore Girls, and Outer Banks are all set during high school but how accurate are they? Unfortunately, I am yet to see someone break into flash mob during school (High School Musical) or escape Saturday detention (The Breakfast Club), but I am still holding out hope.

I remember when I was younger watching High School Musical; despite someone jumping onto a table playing the cello during lunch, I believed this is what high school is like. Although it is highly unrealistic, it provided some comfort in the uncertainty of growing up as I am sure it did for many others. However, as my first day of school came around, the movie cliches turned out to be just cliches.

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Common Misconceptions

Now let’s address some of the biggest cliches. First, popular people. Unlike Mean Girls, there is not a clique of people that control the school or in High School Musical, where "you must stick to the stuff you know." I can guarantee you that no one is going to stuff you into a locker or throw a slushie in your face (Glee) for not abiding by an unspoken social hierarchy.

Second, canteen/cafeteria food. At least at my school, the cafeteria is not some exciting, mystical social hub where people perform dance numbers. The reality is miles of students in a queue awaiting mediocre, over-priced food avoiding mushed peas on the floor.

Thirdly, homework. One of the biggest lies I faced when I went to high school was homework. In the wise words of Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls), “Who cares if I’m pretty, if I fail my finals,” so whilst it is important to attain good grades in school, enjoying high school is just as important. Though people make jokes about it, you don’t have to stay up till midnight revising for a test that won’t matter in about a week.

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The Reality of High School

High school is not falling in love with your stepbrother (Clueless) or a modern interpretation of a Shakespeare play (She’s The Man and 10 Things I Hate About You).

This is the brutal realisation that I and many others faced on the first day of school. This is not to say high school is all sadness, although during exam season it can be, it’s just how it is portrayed in the media. People would not want to watch a bunch of sleep-deprived kids drowning in homework, taking pictures on Snapchat whilst sitting in the hallways awaiting the dreaded siren of the bell signaling their freedom is over. As you can imagine, this would not make for good TV.

As the world becomes dominated by media, it seems as though Hollywood has hijacked the typical school experience. This comes with false preconceptions and people being nostalgic for a school life that has never existed.

But why do people watch TV if it is not true? Hope. The stress of everyday life weighs a heavy burden on everyone’s shoulders and even just for two hours we want to escape into a new world where our problems fade away.

Recommendations

I could go on forever, but the movies and series mentioned throughout this article and the following list are some of my favourite shows that portray the ‘high school experience’ because sometimes I just want to curl up on my sofa and live vicariously through Kat Stratford (10 Things I Hate About You).

• Pitch Perfect 1, 2 and 3
• To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before 1, 2 and 3
• Legally Blonde
• The Summer I Turned Pretty
• XO, Kitty
• The OC
• One Tree Hill
• The Vampire Diaries
• My Life With The Walter Boys

Conclusion

Movies are not like school; however, in a way, that is why people watch them. Whilst high school can be a place where you make amazing memories, it can also be mundane. Shows that present the average high school experience provide excitement in their absurdity because who wouldn’t to be in an acapella group and sing a Christmas song with Snoop Dogg (Pitch Perfect 2)?