Highschool in the USA
By Maksim Kirandjiski (YES 2021-2022, Macedonia, Placed by AYA in Corning, New York)
We all have our own preconceived views on what an “American Highschool” looks like, whether they’re shaped from movies, TV shows or books. There’s the football team and the cheerleaders that go crazy for them, the hallway lockers which some kid gets shoved into, the cafeteria where kids get into their own groups, science projects and exploding beakers…definitely a lot of stereotypes. But just how many of them, if any, are true?
Some of them definitely are. The football team, for example, were all kings of the high school – very popular kids who got along well with everyone. Going to the football game every Friday was a must, so much so that it was one of the main ways to spend time with your friends and meet new people after school (though the games were, mostly, at school). However, there is a difference: all the football players were really nice and respectful, not at all like the bullies they are sometimes portrayed as in media. They were the pride of the school and made sure to help everyone out in any way they could, especially when it meant standing up for someone.
The actual classes are also something that’s often misunderstood. Its true that we had labs and practical experiments for physics and chemistry, and that in fact things did sometimes explode – that’s what I loved about the education system! They insisted on teaching us theoretical concepts through real-world means, and they would test us on this knowledge through lab reports about our experiment. Yes, some subjects weren’t as thrilling and had you counting the seconds till the bell rang, but those were the minority. Its worth mentioning that the school had such a wide selection of subjects which you hand picked into your schedule, even ones like forensics, graphic design, music theory, computer science, philosophy. There was a subject for every passion of every student.
After the football season died down, the school plays took the position of most frequently went-to social event (at least, before the start of basketball season). All the drama club members were hard workers and practiced day and night to get their moves just right, their notes on pitch, and their lines memorized. They would start rehearsing for a play months in advance so that they could be ensured everything would go just right. In the play I was in, there was a jump rope sequence where we had 3 people tap dancing and jumping over a rope at the same time! Our peers loved it and we got a lot of praise and support.
Field trips were also really fun. We would go somewhere as an entire class and learn about something outside of school, like on a boat ride to analyze water plankton or at a nascar track to see how they market the races. Getting in the school bus was always exciting and very loud, especially at the back where all the kids would laugh and crack jokes.
The most memorable events were without a doubt the school dances. Everyone would dress up in really nice clothes, anxiously seek out dates and be relieved when they get them, awkwardly dance at the beginning before busting out their best moves near the end. Though you don’t really do a whole lot, it’s the magic surrounding the experience that makes it truly special. You care about the school dance because its important, but it’s important because you care about it. And so everyone loved the school dance and the magic that is socializing with friends, eating ice cream and slow dancing with your date.
Overall, my high school experience was enjoyable. Some honorable mentions are getting your first snow day, trips to the amusement park and P.E. shenanigans. It’s important to note that you can’t generalize high school in the U.S. because it varies so much from state to state, but what stays the same is young, ambitious teenagers enjoying the best years of their lives.