Everything I Wish I Knew about High School Social Life My Freshman Year ...

1 You Won’t Eat Lunch in a Bathroom Stall

You can breathe a sigh of relief! That common scene in teen chick flicks of a new girl eating her sandwich in a bathroom stall… that won’t happen. I mean, unless you really love bathroom stalls, which I doubt you do. But making friends is surprisingly easy in high school, especially freshman year when everyone is new and trying to figure out where exactly they fit in. You’ll probably run into people you knew in middle school, otherwise you’ll make new friends in class. If worst comes to worst, don’t hesitate to pull up a chair next to a total stranger and ask to eat lunch with them—odds are they’ll say yes!

2 Parties Are a Thing

I didn’t realize that people actually partied until around senior year. And by then, it was too late for me to jump in on that scene! Do I wish I was a constant party-goer? Definitely not. But do I wish I had seen it for myself, done something a little rebellious for once, and had a true high school experience for one night? Of course! At the end of high school, you won’t regret the things you did as much as you’ll regret missing out on opportunities to try new things. Keep that in mind when it comes to expanding your social horizons!

*That’s not a free pass to go crazy though! Be responsible and make wise choices.

3 Being Smart Isn’t Lame

The friendless-nerdy girl stereotype is just about as inaccurate as the lunch in a bathroom stall scenario. It’s actually really cool to be smart! You’ll make way more interesting friends, get the right attention from guys, and earn respect from your peers and teachers. So never dumb yourself down to come off as more fun or approachable; try your hardest and people will admire your intellect!

4 Being Pretty Isn’t Everything

Honestly, most people in high school don’t care about looks that much. You’ll be surprised by how many people wear sweatpants and messy buns to school every day! I was the girl who would wear heels and dresses to school all the time, but that was just my personal style. I never felt pressured to be pretty just to avoid mocking, and neither will you! Be yourself, whether that means wearing as much makeup as a Kardashian or going au natural; people will like you for who you are.

5 People Aren’t Always What They Seem

High School isn’t black and white—that’s another myth! You won’t come across a clan of “plastics” who you know right away are bad news. Instead, it might be the shy, quiet girl who is a total brat and a gorgeous cheerleader who is genuinely kind. You can’t judge a book by its cover—or in this case, your classmates by movies!

6 Your Parents Won’t Ruin Your Life

Almost everyone has parents, most people have extremely lame parents! No one will dislike you because yours are weird, say “I love you” too often, make you ask permission to go out, etc. Just respect your parents because they love you!

7 Judgmental People Are Avoidable

I make high school sound like it’s a walk through the park—it isn’t. There are some really judgmental people out there. But, they are avoidable. If you have a bad experience with someone, there’s no need to hang out with them. It’s okay to have a small group of genuine friends, rather than several judgmental friends who will ultimately have a bad impact on your high school experience.

Overall, high school is what you make of it! But high school social life definitely isn’t as traumatizing as movies or TV shows make it seem! What are you most concerned about when it comes to high school social life?