Clearly growing up in the last 50 years means that you have watched show after show after show about high school. After discovering that school isn't all fun and games like High School Musical, you start to think, what other lies have these onscreen shows told us? Encroaching on my final year of high school, it's quickly stacked up all the ways that reality differs from TV, so here's just a list of 12 basic reasons.

1. Dating

According to TV, they make dating in high school seem like this BIG romantic thing that'll last for ages. When in actually reality, your relationships will probably last a few months at max.

2. Cars

Remember Sharpay's car? And the cars from 10 Things I Hate About You? Well, news flash, a majority of the kids you're going to school with won't have totally bomb rides. It'll probably be more like the car Troy has in the final movie.

3. Parties

Let's be honest, these movies make it seem like high school is filled with out of control parties with no parental supervision. HA! To be fair, if you throw a party, only about half the people you invite will even show up. Everyone will be too busy chilling with their small group of friends to have any interest in going to a party hosted by someone they don't even know.

4. Class

The thing that bummed me out the most was not about parties and maybe not even about dating, it was about classes. Like damn, for some reason in movies they hardly spend any time in class but yet if I miss class, that's consider "wrong" or "detention worthy?" Pft, oh please.

5. Style

Let's just get this straight, this isn't Vegas or a runway, don't dress like it because most of your fellow classmates won't as well. Granted, half the kids who walk into class will probably be still in sweats or pajamas.

6. Dress Codes

Expanding on the whole style thing, let's not forget most high schools have a dress code in place. Evidently our shoulders and knees are too inviting and distracting for the school place. Maybe that's why no work ever gets done on TV.

7. Football Games

Simple as this: they're not as big as movies make them out to be. And nothing big is gonna happen at a game **cough cough** Avalon High

8. Elections

Also not as big as the movies. And there's the very high chance you might not even know the kid(s) running for office, especially if you're a coined introvert.

9. Friends

The same group you walked in with freshman year, likely will not be the same group you walk out with 4 years later. You will make friends and you will lose a few as well, but hey, it's just life. As for me and my squad, there's a remaining 4 of us original members; we started with 6.

10. Dances

They are a hoot! Just kidding. Yes, they are fun. But you'll probably end up ditching before it ends. And there probably won't be a whole ton of dancing. With so many bodies, the temperature seems to be pretty close to hell. So that's something to look forward to. On the plus side, you get to dress up and judge your fellow classmates.

11. "Best four years?"

This one is up to debate. My friends and I could very much agree that it is better than junior high but certainly not the best four years of our lives. Meanwhile, a friend who graduated before us says it was her best four years. I guess it's all about prospective.

Whether or not you love or hate high school, it's a learning experience each and everyone of us is forced to go through. So I suggest you suck it up, and power through it. But don't forget to try and have some fun. Join a few clubs, do a sport, meet new people. In the end we each make our own high school experience.