“I would say there are a lot of misconceptions. I think that while many of the facts about us may be true, people overlook the fact that we are not all that annoying. It is more the negative reputation we have that has created that stereotype.”

“One misconception people have about people in my grade is that we are really immature or not that smart. There are definitely some exceptions, but most 10th graders are actually pretty mature and capable. We do not always show it, but in the right situations, we know when to be serious and act mature. Sometimes in class I will be on my phone and not really doing much, which is probably exactly how people picture 10th graders. But when I actually need to lock in, I can put my phone away, focus, and get my work done. I think that’s something people do not realize about our age, we can be mature and focused when it matters.”

“One misconception within our grade is that it seems like everyone is doing fine, but as the year goes on, you realize that a lot of people are actually struggling with their own things. We are all just kind of getting through it. And even though it feels hard right now, this phase is temporary and it will pay off in the future. Another misconception from other grades, like freshmen or sophomores, is that we are either always partying or always studying. People think it is one extreme or the other, when in reality it is usually somewhere in between.”

“A really big misconception is that once you become a senior, you do not get much homework and you can just be lazy or skip class. But honestly, it is kind of the opposite. We still get a lot of homework, you just have to figure out how to balance schoolwork with everything else you are doing.”