There are no synchronized dance numbers taking place or an apparent Regina George in sight. The halls are filled with dozens of people. They are all moving at their own pace to get to class. No one is being stuffed into a locker by an obvious bully.

Every incoming freshmen had ideas – accurate or not – about high school. Because of the many different portrayals in movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “High School Musical” and “Mean Girls,” many students had mixed-up ideas. To some, it seemed exciting, but to others, high school seemed scary.

“The movies made me afraid of high school,” senior class president Amy Nguyen said. “I was actually really scared because I was a nerd. I imagined it as frightening.”

Students also had to deal with many of the different stereotypes they have heard about from movies and television, such as band kids being “nerds” or athletes being intellectually inferior to the average student. While some stereotypes may hold some truth in certain cases, others are completely false.

“Athletes are kind of jerks,” senior track athlete Nathan Coleman said. “[But it’s untrue that] athletes are dumb. A lot of us are in AP classes – advanced, rigorous classes, and we excel.”

Another stereotype about everyday life in high school is the cliques, generally defined as close-knit groups. While the line of division between cliques is apparent in the media, it is not so clear in real life. Students often identify themselves with groups they would not have imagined associating themselves with prior to high school. They also try new activities or clubs that they may not have considered being a part of earlier.

“I made it my personal experience,” Nguyen said. “I fell in love with the school. [And] I don’t belong to stereotypes. I am my own person.”