Hi! May I ask for any tips on how to write a high school AU in the USA setting? As in, what parts of the school life to include? I only know they don't have uniforms and everyone eats in the same big canteen. I'm from a totally different country and we don't have that culture at all so it makes me wonder haha
Hi! This is an excellent question and I'm more than happy to oblige :) High school can be a super confusing system, so here's some ideas based on the American school system that might help with inspiration!
High school in America lasts four years. 9th grade is ages 14-15, 10th grade is ages 15-16, 11th grade is ages 16-17, and 12th grade is ages 17-18. 9th graders are freshmen, 10th graders are sophomores, 11th graders are juniors, and 12th graders are seniors. The school years typically runs from August to June, with a break during December for Christmas and occasional holidays.
Classes are divided into either four or six periods depending on the school. Classes are usually an hour or an hour and a half, and students have assigned seating while the teacher instructs them. The core classes are English, math, history, and science, but there's lots of other courses like art, drama, band, ROTC (which is military training), etc. Every teacher has a "planning period," where they don't teach a class and have time to work: this is an excellent device to use for a heart-to-heart with a teacher.
Sports are a HUGE deal among students and can include football, basketball, tennis, baseball, soccer, wrestling, cheerleading, etc. Students usually stay after school for practice, and athletes tend to hang out with one another during and after school. Games are played on and off campus, and athletes ride together in a team bus. The athletes are usually considered the popular, cool, sometimes dim-witted kids. If it's a small town, the Friday night football games are the literal highlight of the week for everyone in the town, and the stadium has hundreds of bleachers for all the spectators.
Most of the drama happens in the hallways and the bathrooms. That's where kids go to gossip, text, make out, cry, get bullied, do drugs, and lots of other insane stuff. The hallways are usually patrolled by teachers, but a lot of stuff flies under their radar. Also, every student has their own locker (with a private combination) where they keep their extra stuff, and locker-side chats are pretty common tropes for a high school AU.
The cafeteria is another common place for drama. All the students go through the line, get a tray of food, and eat together in a giant room. Some schools require students to sit with their class, and others let them sit wherever they want. This is the primary place that students get word around, and it's notorious for being the place where students divide into their little cliques / tribes.
There's always a library, and students typically go there with their class or during the few minutes between classes. Libraries are great for clandestine meetings or for nerdy love to bloom :)
Students ride the bus to school unless they have a ride to and from. They wait by a bus stop in the heat or cold until the bus picks them up and drops them off at school. Bus rides are either loved or hated; it all depends on who you get stuck with. This is another fantastic way to have your characters thrown together and to form an everyday connection.
You're right; most American schools don't require uniforms. Some private schools (or Catholic boarding schools) do require a uniform, but certainly not in a public school. There's usually a dress code prohibiting anything that's too suggestive or has obscene words or stuff like that.
Students are required to take PE (physical education) classes which teach them a variety of sports skills and are generally well-hated. The students then go to a locker room (one for boys, one for girls) to change clothes for their next class, and weirdly they all change clothes in front of each other. There's also showers and sinks and stuff in there.
Some high schools have talent shows that students enter. This is a huge deal for some reason, and students will enter with talents like singing, dancing, playing an instrument, telling jokes, etc. These talent shows are usually very well attended by parents, faculty, and other students, and the judges are either teachers or fellow exemplary students. This is a great way to have your characters thrown together or to create some tension.
Every school has a prom in April, May, or June. It's a big dance party that's chaperoned by teachers and involves bringing a date or arriving with a group of friends. Prom is a huge deal in high school and usually encompasses getting the perfect outfit, a sweet ride, and your dream date. Every prom has a theme (historical characters, under the sea, celebrities, etc.) and they play a variety of music ranging from line dances to slow love songs. They also crown a Prom King and Prom Queen.
American high schools obsess over this thing called Homecoming, which is the big event to end the school year. It starts with a big athletic event (typically a football game) which is played at home against a big rival team. After celebrating the big victory (which usually happens), the school has a huge dance party that's similar to prom.
The big finale to high school is graduation. Senior students wear a cap and gown (very specific to their school), march with their graduating class (whom they have usually grown up with), and walk across the stage to receive a handshake and diploma from the principal. Several teachers and students (like the valedictorian) give speeches, and then students celebrate and cry over their experiences. Graduation is one of the most emotional and anticipated events in high school, so definitely make use of that one if your characters are seniors!
