High school years are supposed to be the greatest moment in our lives; ever since we were children, we grew up watching movies that show us what high school is supposed to be like, it all seemed great, fun, and happy; but did it create unrealistic ideas in our heads? Was it all just made up? Did these ideas help new high school students during the pandemic?

High school years are supposed to be our most memorable years and the time for self-discovery. Everyone has a different perspective, their ideology. I had the pleasure to interview Lizbeth, a sophomore at Anaheim High School. “Is high school everything you thought it would be?” Lizbeth answered and had an interesting answer, “ Yes and no, I grew up watching movies with the main character being in high school and having the time of their life. Having a high school sweetheart has been my main goal since I was a little girl.”  This high school expectation is indeed shared by many, “The real high school experience is filled with stress and sadness, it’s hard to fully get the picture through. I never thought I would be so sad and stressed, especially because of the pandemic. It took one year and a half of school away from me.” stated Lizbeth. 

Lizbeth tells us more about her experience of how hard it was to transition to high school during the pandemic. Hundreds of students went through the same experience as Lizbeth. It left many students having to fend for themselves, creating their own identities without help from friends, counselors, or teachers.

Almost everyone fantasizes about being the main character in High school. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be in control of your lives, but the life lesson is way harder to explain. High school is just a bump in the road from a life of excitement and adventure. We decide who we want to be; it’s your life! The person we will be is not defined by our grades nor how many AP classes we take. We are the main character.