It’s the best time of your life, and you’ll miss it when it’s gone; these are some of the things our parents tell us about entering high school, but is this really the mentality our parents actually want us to have?

“My expectations entering high school were to get a 3.5 gpa or higher, and meet new friends,” Kathryn Jordan, junior, said.

We are told to enjoy the little time we have in high school, but the true fact is that being able to both enjoy high school and keep up with school work may not help you meet your parents’ expectations.

“Entering high school, my expectation was to keep my grades up while also having fun with all my friends,” Noah Nickerson, junior, said.

High school is a big turning point in a lot of kids’ lives, and taking it as a joke could hurt you for the rest of your life. As students it’s hard being able to keep up with all our school work, yet also balancing a social life as well.

“I don’t really feel the pressure to have a social life, as I have had one for a very long time, so I’m use to that pressure,” Jordan said.

Being a good high school student takes a lot of responsibility. There is a lot of competition to get into colleges, and even when doing the right thing, you aren’t guaranteed to get into the college of your choice.

“My parents want me to do well in my classes so I have the grades I need to get in the college I want to,” Nickerson, said.

Our parents want us to get good grades and stay out of trouble, but high school doesn’t last long, and we are reminded of that every day. High school is something you only experience one time, and having all of the pressure to excel in school work, become successful adults, and enjoy our last chance at childhood, make it very difficult.