High school movies plant seeds of expectation in kids’ brains: images of people being shoved into lockers or a sea of students parting when the “popular” kids walk by.

Eighth graders, especially towards the end of their last year in middle-school, start to imagine what high-school might be like. Seven eighth graders from PHMS have decided to go on record about what they think high-school is going to be like.

“I’ve heard that there’s a lot of drug use, and sometimes, the upperclassmen aren’t very nice,” said Katherine Mickelson.

Drug use and drinking is a common misconception in society. Peer pressure is common because kids see their friends doing something bad, but that does not mean they have to do the same.

Everyone knows that, as you move up in grade levels, classes get harder and the pressure increases to do well in school, but in all honesty, classes are not that bad.

“I really just expect harder classes and more homework and new opportunities. I’m hoping to make lots of new friends. And I’m glad they can intermix grade levels in each class,” said Elliott Tomkins.

The one real myth everyone wants to be debunked is: are upperclassmen really mean to freshmen? The real answer is no and yes. I would advise not being super obnoxious and noisy in the hallways or at school events, and upperclassman will leave you alone.

“Upperclassmen are mean to the freshmen. I’ve heard so many stories; it’s kind of what eighth-graders do to the sixth graders, but we’re being the ones looked down at,” said Lauren Holte.

There are a lot of myths about high school and these eighth graders have heard some of the worse ones. High school is scary, but so is trying new food, like the school store cookies, which Holte is also excited about.

“I really want to try the cookies,” said Holte.

One way to make high school less intimidating is the possibility for many new friends, which many people find that through school sports and clubs.

“I’ll join volleyball, but I don’t really know about clubs. I don’t really know what’s there,” said Samantha Zeeck.

At LHS especially, marching band is a big deal, and Skyler Hanson is a possible future member of the group.

“I’ll probably do football, and I might do marching band,” said Hanson.

Elliot Whitney is thinking about joining the Statesman staff and is looking forward to the high school experience, despite the many stories of bullying.

“I might join Statesman,” said Whitney. “Some people may think that high school is a scary experience, but I am looking forward to it, even though there’s the stereotype that you’ll get bullied.”

While there are many horror stories from the halls of high school, the truth is upperclassmen usually leave freshmen alone, and it is not nearly a scary as some make it out to be.

But most of all, high school is about exploring new opportunities and meeting new people.

“I am excited to meet new people and discover new possibilities,” said eighth eighth-grader Alex Mentzer.

Other concerns include being swept, getting behind on schoolwork or getting lost in the vast hallways of a bigger school.

But in reality, very few kids get swept at all, and as long as students use their planners and do their homework every night, they will be fine. As far as getting lost, the first time new students step into the building it is intimidating, but after a couple of weeks, most know the school better than they thought they would.

So while high school seems a little scary, it is more than a lot of fun. From fall football games and homecoming to winter basketball games and all the way to the feeling of the last semester test of the year, high school is truly something that will remain a fond memory in most student’s minds.