Is Highschool Really the Nightmare Its Been Made Out to Be?

This morning I flipped on the television to some Crime Scene Investigation show and I watched two episodes. Both of these episodes outlined how horrible the lives of teenagers in high school are. In these episodes, students were bullied repeatedly and "forced" to bring a gun to school and either murder the bully or go on mass killing sprees. The rest of the school usually isn't illustrated as that great either, high school is apparently a drug and violence disaster.

As a senior in high school, I must say that I'll have quite an accurate perspective on exactly how high school is. In the last year, there have been 2 fights in my school. Both were minor, and hardly any injuries have been caused by any fights in my school's entire history. Of course there are fights and problems in all schools, and the results will vary across all schools, but I'd like to believe my school is quite average in this aspect, as I'm located in one of the biggest cities in Michigan.

Has there ever been a shooting at my school, or the three major other districts near my house? Never. Has anyone ever been threatened in any of these schools? Once, and it made the local news, and the threat was minor; not nearly life threatening. The drug usage of students throughout these schools is relatively common, however, no drugs are ever brought to school due to random searches and "drug dog" scans. It's nearly impossible to not be sober in school due to these reasons.

So why is it that some people, especially television, view high school as a massive mosh pit? The violence in almost all schools isn't nearly what it's illustrated on television, and the drug usage is completely minimal in comparison to what most people would assume.

If you're reading this article, you're probably either a concerned parent, or a concerned student. If you're someone who's going into high school, have no worries.. High school is NOT what it's cracked up to be on the news, reality shows, or any other media you may have experienced. The reason you've had these ideas, is probably because the media tends to outline the worse in public school systems, because they only are going to show the news that attracts the attention of the viewers.. If the media were to show people the safe, violence-free activities that take place in schools on a daily basis, no one would be interested in watching.

If you're a concerned parent, know that your child will be safe in high school. They're not going to become drug addicts the second they walk in, or join the mob and go on killing sprees shortly after their first semester.

High school is nowhere near what it's made out to be. In fact, as a senior, I'm terrified of leaving high school. I've experienced the best years of my life in high school, made the best of friends, and learned almost everything I know.. I'm not prepared to give all of that up right away. Know that you're more than likely going to have the time of your life while you're in highschool - not end it or try and end the lives of others. High school is a great experience if you allow it to be. Get out there, make some friends, meet people, learn everything you can, and get ready to enter the real, cold world.