Every year, freshmen students push through the Academic Entrance on the first day of school to see new teachers, new friends, new hallways, and new responsibilities. Since teenagers these days grew up watching high schools in movies like Rydell High from Grease, Shermer High School from The Breakfast Club, and East High from High School Musical, media may paint an unrealistic picture for what high school is actually like for incoming freshmen.

“I was expecting freedom to do whatever I wanted,” said freshman Nick Kortez. “It turns out there are actually rules here.”

While some students feel weighed down by the different rules set in high school from middle school, other students feel liberated with the new independence they received when entering York.

“I really enjoy the experience and all the freedom we didn’t have in middle school,” said freshman Josh Temple.

A well known expectation of high school is the thought of students either overwhelmed with stress and being buried in books, or the opposite: a stress and drama free school experience with little work and responsibility. Both of these lifestyles are shown on TV, and because of this students come in with different expectations on the workload they will face.

“The classes can be kind of stressful, but the students and teachers have been very helpful,” said freshman Bryce Bukowski. “I have had a lot of homework, but it hasn’t been that bad.”

With a new school comes a complete new set of teachers, another challenge that freshman will be faced with when they come to high school. (meaning there is no old teachers to say hi in the hallways before class to give some level of comfortability.)

“I think they are very helpful, but some of them do not go into a lot of detail,” said Bukowski. “However, they are mostly really helpful and they teach the curriculum really well. I like my math teacher because she is really fun and she tries to make math enjoyable.”

Unlike Rosewood High from Pretty Little Liars, most students at York High School do not have to encounter a murder investigation or obsessive stalkers at regular ole’ high school, so the supposive drama is not “as seen on tv.”

“York is a good school,” said freshman Emma King. “There are a lot of clubs and activities for everyone to do, so there are opportunities to meet a lot of good people. I do not think there is much drama here.”

Since York is a lot larger than the middle schools, freshmen are bound to meet a lot of new people. While the added students can be an adjustment compared to the tight knit groups of eighth grade, in the end, students tend to enjoy all of the new friends they make when they come to high school.

“I’ve met a lot of great friends from volleyball and my other activities,” said freshman Meera Labine. “I really like the people here.”

Another change is the upperclassman. In middle schools, the eighth graders are at the top of the pact, but they have to learn to adjust to being the youngest again.

“It was hard at school because there were a lot of people and people can be kind of scary, but it turns out that everyone is really nice,” said freshman Liwen Hirt. “I was scared of the people in the older grades, but it turned out being fine.”

While high school is not like how it is in TV, there are a lot of great opportunities and changes that come with the transition to high school.

“It may be an adjustment, it may be a change, but it’s part of life and I kind of enjoy it,” said Temple.