Around the time junior or senior year rolls around, you begin to fully realize all of the lies you were told in high school. I am not talking about any factual lies based on the educational curriculum, although I am sure there were some of those too, but rather I'm talking about the lies about your life during and after high school. While we all know the school administration and faculty only say what is best for us, it doesn’t mean that what they say is accurate. So let’s uncover the lies you were told in high school and clear things up.
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1. These Will Be the Best Four Years of Your Life
One of the first lies you were told in high school is that these four years will be the best four years of your life. While that might definitely be the case, it is not true most of the time. This is not to degrade the educational system, this is solely based on the fact that high school is just a start! We have so many things ahead of us that these four years can’t possibly be the highlight of our lives.
2. Writing in Cursive is a Necessary Skill
Out of all four years of my high school career, the only time that I had to write in cursive was when I took my SATs. Other than that, I don’t think I was ever required to practice that skill. But how many times did you hear that writing in cursive is an essential skill? Probably one too many!
Frequently asked questions
Oh, there are so many! Like how they said your GPA would determine your entire future, or that college is the only path to success. They also told us that popularity matters, but trust me, it doesn’t.
Absolutely not! While doing well in school is important, your GPA isn't the be-all and end-all. Many successful people didn't have stellar GPAs. It's really more about your skills, passions, and drive.
No way! High school popularity fades quickly. What truly matters are the real friendships you build and the kind of person you are.
Definitely not! College is great for some, but there are many paths to success—trade schools, starting your own business, or even diving straight into a job that teaches you skills on the go.
Teachers are knowledgeable, but they're human, too. They don’t know everything, and sometimes they’re wrong. It’s always good to think critically and learn from multiple sources.
3. Phones Will Be Confiscated
While this depends on how strict your school is, I will go from personal experience. It is a given that most schools don’t allow any cellular devices to be used in school. My school in particular even went as far as saying that they are not allowed in the building. However, no matter how many times they try to put this rule into effect, it never works. Most teachers are very lenient with first time warnings, so phone confiscations are rare.
4. You Will Use This Knowledge One Day
How many times were you sitting in class and asking yourself when you were going to need to know this material later in life? When else would you need to know how to use trigonometric substitution to find the integral of an equation? Nonetheless, every teacher drills it into your head that one day you will rely on this information.
5. Every Teachers is Here to Help You
Yes, a part of this statement is true, but this doesn’t apply to every teacher you will ever have. You would be lucky to find a teacher who will guide you in the right direction and teach you valuable lessons that don’t just pertain to their subject. Finding a teacher like that is rare because most of them try to keep things professional.
6. All Teachers Treat Students Equally
Now while we all would love to believe this, the truth is that teachers pick and choose their favorites unconsciously. They might think they are treating everyone equally but everyone can see that this is not the case. Some teachers tend to favor some students over others and build up deep dislike for those with whom they don’t click. And as students, we have to deal with that.
7. High School Prepares You for the Real World
High school doesn’t even give you a sneak peek of what the real world is all about. It doesn’t teach you the skills that you should be taught, which is why so many students are unprepared to be on their own when they graduate. It’s unfortunate, but that is just the way the cookie crumbles.
Some things that you are told repeatedly in high school are just not true, and I say that from experience. Teachers are not trying to fool your purposely, they just don’t see the reality of the situations themselves. So what are some other lies were you told in high school?
Comments
Leighann: In 7th/8th grade my teachers told us that the high school would ABSOLUTELY NOT allow students to use mechanical pencils, I'm now a junior and I haven't use a regular wooden pencil those whole 2+ years.
Stephanie: Number 7 is especially true
iloveparis624: @eli- I completely agree. I too think most of these are false.
duje: im studying to be an art teacher. im so nervous and excited. my art was like my school mum and defo put me on the right path 👍
Isabella: usually teachers like me but the few who haven't really tried to make life hell! I hated them. if you let your teacher know that essentially the student is the important one here and that they are there for us then they start acting with better professional decorum. if a teacher isn't treating you equally- put them in their place! no, don't yell at them. just make sure everything they do wrong gets to the principal. a substitute teacher called me a spoiled brat for studying for me physics exam and then tried to give me out of school suspension. let's just say the school never saw her again :) don't be afraid to report teachers and if they deserve it- hope they get fired!
Dani: other than the phone thing I can agree, and the first one because I haven't lived through college yet so I can't compare yet, but I'm sure it will be better looking back at all the idiots I dealt with in high school that I hopefully won't have to in college.
Aliza: So TRUE
Hannah: I'm lucky because my high school allows phone because we are allowed to listen to music while working, and with work too
eli: I have to disagree with most of this post. fact of the matter is that school is mean to teach you qualities such as memorization, persistence, logical thinking, dedication, commitment etc. when you say those lessons taught such as a trigonometry formula is meant to teach you how to use a tool rather than the formula itself. similarly school does prepare you for the real world in teaching you those qualities. and I don't know about you, but working in an office as a professional and printing something instead of writing it in cursive simply makes you look childish and immature. I think a wider perspective would have been valuable while considering subtopics for this blog.
Winifer: Amen 🙏
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