15.1 million high school students across the United States wake up predawn.   I rise to the chimes of my alarm at precisely 6:05 am. Instantly, I begin my morning, dreading the full day ahead of me. A day full of test taking. Listening to lecture after lecture. Keeping a smile on my face knowing I would be up all night finishing my assignments. This wasn't what I thought high school would be like. People always say, "High school is the best years of your life," but nobody prepared me for the daily emotional exhaustion I experience.

When I was younger, I couldn't wait to start high school. I used to dream of spending my golden years socializing with my friends and spending minimal time on schoolwork. The movies I watched made everything look so appealing, so exciting. 

However, the realities of the typical American high school experience were gravely misrepresented. Many American television shows and movies convey a stereotypical view of high school that is exaggerated for amusement. They present a glamorized reality of high school but fail to include the stress and anxiety students continuously experience. 

Undoubtedly, the media exaggerates how high school is portrayed, downplaying many of its obligations. But where exactly do we draw the line? When do we stop romanticizing such an unrealistic ideal? 

With the growing workload and pressure to get good grades, high school has become a breeding ground for stress and anxiety. According to Dr. Imed Bouchrika, Chief Data Scientist, "It was found out that three-quarters (75%) of American high schoolers and half of the middle schoolers described themselves as "often or always feeling stressed" by schoolwork."

Instead, the media falsely depicts a society where students "are either pursuing after-school activities, spending time with friends, or going to high school parties." In addition, most teen film casts are over the voting age. Films, such as High School Musical and Mean Girls, portray high school students to be mature and adult-like. In reality, most students are naive. According to a survey by the New York Times, "Andrew is 16 years old, living in a time where most people his age try their best to act older, act hard, act big, like a grown-up. He is still playful, still young, still innocent."

Adolescents and preteens are the primary victims of the overly idealized notion of high school. Children set an unrealistic standard for what their high school experience will entail. As a result, students experience "disappointment, frustration, and even anger" when film authors and producers create these quixotic settings.

To all incoming freshmen, know that high school is not exactly what it's made out to be.