Writing in American High School.
I spent a good five minutes hashing out block schedules, classes, funding, and logistics before I decided to list some of the quirkier facets of American high school. If you arenât sure whether or not itâs just on TV, I can help out!
Presenting...a list of things that Actually Do Happen in American High School! (despite all functional reasoning)
Buses will arrive as early as an hour and a half before school starts, and kids will walk to them in the dark.
In the morning, you donât talk to your friends on the bus unless everyoneâs okay with it. The morning bus is for sleeping, checking your phone, and eating breakfast.
Fire drills happen every month, and kids will just leave school and hang out at the nearest restaurant if they feel like itâdrills where everyone goes outside is the perfect time to slip away.
Lockdown drills happen too, but more rarely. Some schools do âactive shooter drillsâ where they pay people to come in and traumatize kids. Some schools have announced that lockdowns arenât drills when they are and had to round up all the kids who sprinted off campus.
Arts classes get no funding, so kids will sell anything from fruits to mattresses in an effort to get money to fix instruments and art supplies. Naturally, the kids who sell a lot are rewarded with cold hard cash.
Homecoming ralliesâthe school will gather all of their kids outside to celebrate. Each school does it differentâour school had a boyâs cheerleading routine and a teacher/student wrestling match. The wrestling matches were canceled after a student broke a teacherâs arm.
The âjuul roomâ is real. Instead of bathrooms smelling like smoke, they smell like weird desserts and fruits. Donât make eye contact with the juul kids. Theyâre probably younger than you but theyâll still beat you up.
Fights happen regularly. Most with fists, most over boys or girls. Kids bringing in scissors or other objects to fight with are not uncommon.
Not every school has had a shooting, but I can guarantee the majority has had a shooting threat or a gun found on campus. My school did have a shooting, a year after a threat. The threat was written on a pencil, but it still scared everyone.
Football is big. The quarterbacks arenât idolized like in TV shows and neither are the cheerleaders, but every Friday night football game will be absolutely wild.
Cheating is normal. If the teacher isnât looking, I can guarantee at least one kid is cheating on a quiz. Sharing homework assignment answers are even more commonâkids are running on no sleep after all.
Vending machines in schools. Not super common, but we have three in our school that all open after school hours.
Most upperclassmen (age 16-18) drive to school and park in the parking lot once they get a car. Thereâs a giant line to get out.
If somebody starts clapping, everyone starts clapping.
Most kids in order to get into college will balance high school with sports, clubs, and volunteering. Some kids will take on part time jobs in order to support their families. Either way, youâre lucky if you have time to yourself at all on the weekdays (besides homework)
Senior skip day. No seniors in sight. Theyâre all at Wendyâs.
The Pledge of Allegiance is said every day. The farther south you go, the more glares you get if you donât stand. Some schools will punish you (even though itâs technically illegal)
Antivax kids are at your school, believe it or not. Whooping cough almost had a heyday at my school, and I live in a well off area. Keep up with your shots, kids.
People will set fire to things. Trash cans especially. People will set fire to trash cans. Why? Chances are, they threw away a joint. People will also pull the fire alarm, if they really donât want to go to class. Itâs a crime, but they do it anyways.
Assemblies are an actual thing. They will take up at least an hour of your time.
Public high schools in populated areas can have as many as 3000 students.
Senior pranks are real. Dude, itâs so awesome. Look some upâthey arenât unrealistic. Every high school has a good story.
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