Life During High School: From the Viewpoint of Class 82

Everyone experiences high school differently. Some love it, some
hate it, and some are just doing time. Here are some examples of how rules,
restrictions and realities play out in high schools around the country.
Take a good look and see if you recognize your own high school experience here.

By the time I get to school, the first bell’s ringing. I’m
already late and I haven’t even been to my locker. With just five
minutes between the bells, I can never get to class on time. So I rush
through the door and my teacher sends me to the office because I’m
late. By the end of first block, I’m almost asleep because I’ve
been in the same chair for 100 minutes and my teacher just puts notes
on the board and doesn’t explain what anything’s about. Sometimes
she reads the notes but never gives us something creative or hands-on
assignments. It seems like school is where we come to copy notes and get
lectured. I can’t use the restroom at all and get gum stuck to my
leg because our campus is filthy. It’s like the principal wants
us to suffer. I can never talk to her about the problems at school because
I’ve never even met her. You see her in the beginning
of the second year and then she vanishes. Everyone is so noisy. By the end of the day, I’m wired.

–Mayet Fernandez


Upon graduating high school, I had many friends that they would
never, ever set foot in another high school classroom as long as they
lived. And they haven’t. They were finally free. Finally safe.

—Pablo Rea


Lunch—that’s a joke. School food is terrible and we are
rushed to eat and rushed to class.

--Alex Landicho


My first year in high school’s been a lot different than I expected.
I like the overall excitement. Since I’ve started high school, I’m
always busy! I like the open campus lunch. I think it would get a little
boring staying at school every
day and it’s nice to go out and eat good food. I also like block
scheduling because I only have three classes a day. The tutorial gives
me time to catch up if I ever forgot to finish work or anything happens
to it. I also like the extra privileges, although they come with responsibility.
But that’s a good thing. Overall, I’m having a really great
time.

—Dennis Palomar


Teachers don’t care about us. Monitors are all old and grouchy
and yell about everything. Cafeteria workers don’t have a heart
and they’re cheap with food. People are judged by what they look
like when you don’t even know them.

Teachers don’t care about us. Monitors are all old and grouchy
and yell about everything. Cafeteria workers don’t have a heart
and they’re cheap with food. People are judged by what they look
like when you don’t even know them.

Honestly, I feel very safe at my school. I mean we have had our share
of fights and whatnot but maybe I don’t feel like I’m in danger
because I don’t hang out with those crowds. I’m happy here
for the most part. I play sports, I’m in clubs, have a great group
of friends and get decent grades. I’m expected to do well in school
and I want to do well. I am provided with what I need and am pretty happy.

High school has been a good and bad experience. I enjoyed spending time
with friends, meeting new people, being involved in a plethora of extracurricular activities, creating memories, dances, being irresponsible one last time and learning about what life is really about. I hated the whole being-judged-by-the-exterior scenario, people talking behind your back, people thinking they are better than you, the high school
social ladder (popular, losers, etc.), having to care about what
other people think of you, the glorification of some sports while others
are totally disregarded, and the teachers who don’t have the heart
to teach.

—Tess Feleciano


It’s easier to go outside and smoke than to go for class.
The worst advice I got about high school was that it would be the hardest, most awkward four years of my life. It really hasn’t been bad. Plus
all the teachers told us we had to spend like eight hours a night on homework—so not true. Just use common sense.

—Hilarry Reyes



Oppressive rules and dictatorship attitudes of most adult figures in
the building and too many strict rules make it so there’s no real
place to turn for help. Definitely do not make new rules or regulations
because they don’t really help and actually just make people’s
lives more messed up and miserable. They should try to reform people,
not institute harsher punishments.
The high school I attend has a lot of rules I disagree with. One of them is our dress code. Three and a half months ago, I gave birth to my baby girl. Coming back to school my senior year with a baby to take care of, was—and is—the hardest thing so far I ever had to do. I am responsible for another human being’s life. Everything she does, eats, says, and
wears is all my responsibility. I have to be there for her at all times,
no matter what the school says or wants me to do. So when I wake up in
the morning, the last thing on my mind is what I should and shouldn’t
wear to school. I can’t believe the expectations schools have on
children or adults.

—Loida Sese