What to expect in a high school?

It's pointless to generalize about some abstract universal high school experience; good on you for being specific in the OP. Against the doomy dreadish declarations on that front: I personally quite loved high school -- went to a place where even the "popular kids" were very nice, and the one time someone tried to bully me I literally couldn't figure out what was going on because that kind of thing just... didn't happen. And I'm prime bully bait

Great years in High School over in Mexico. The system is very different, and more where I went, since the High School is connected to the University. This is where I've met the best of people, still friends with many of them.

What to expect? Not sure, my school was very teamwork orientated, that's where I met people that weren't stupid and actually worked. I had my main group of friends, many secondary groups of friends and a lot of people I could just hang out and chat for a while. Expect assholes, dealing with them ranges from ignoring them, outsmarting them, making fun of them (comebacks), etc. Just keep your cool and stay calm, don't do anything stupid.

That's the most important thing, don't do anything stupid. And have fun.

Even if you go to a fancy college prep high school, in the end all that does is help get your foot in the door; your GPA in high school doesn't affect anything other than ability to get into college, and even then you can bypass the need for good grades with an incredibly high score on SAT/ACT/whatever you have there. So, while you can stress out over grades, they technically only really matter in college, so it's better to just do things in a balanced manner. No reason to ostracize yourself from the rest by constantly studying instead of hanging out with them. Though, that's not what I did, I preferred reading, which is an acceptable option too, as long as it's something other than constant schoolwork.

1.Focus on studies
2.Make friends
3.Keep away from the idiots/douchebags
4.???
5.Profit

Seriously though, my homework wasn't to bad but it was because I didn't do most of my science, math, or geo homework. Making friends with a bunch of people makes high school pretty fun from my one year experience.

I don't know what you like to do personally, but if you likes something, try to find a club or group of people that like that sort of thing too. I joined marching band my first year, and it gave me a whole new group of people that I enjoyed being around. Also it is still going to be the same people you knew from middle school(unless you moved), so you should still have friends from there. As long as you don't act like a dumbass in your classes, freshman classes are pretty easy, but you still need to study, because you have to keep a good grade in classes to stay in them after first semester. If you are worried about being pineappleed with, find a group of friends to be around most of the time, and don't act like you are better than anyone. As long as the upperclassmen at your school are not complete plantains, you shouldn't have a problem with them, just don't act like a dumbass. Lastly, don't act like a dumbass.

Have fun, and just look over stuff in high school. It's all about the clubs you get into, the after school activities you get into, and the friends you meet. I did all three and had a great time in high school.

High school is great for most people, but some get swallowed up by the cliques, or they make themselves out to be a target to others and get picked on or something.

Just relax, don't give a pineapple, be cool with everybody and anybody you meet. That aura has to radiate off you baby.

As to what to expect all depends on the people you go to school with, because school-wise nothing ever changes. Ever. It's the people around you and how you interact with them that make your experience.

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But in all seriousness, just try and enjoy yourself and avoid getting in to trouble.

Then again, my version of High School will be way different to yours. Our high school is from age 11-16 (while I was there at least, it's 11-18 now). I'm not exactly sure what goes on in foreign high schools.