Top 10 High School Movies to Enjoy While You Study

Studying is one of the most difficult parts of being a high school student. So many students take refuge where they can and some take very important ‘me’ time to rest and recuperate from a long day of remembering everything their classes tell them. Whether they need help learning math or with Spanish homework, Studybay is the place that can help you the most. 

Failing that, watching great movies helps too! When it comes to the best studying tips, always remember that relaxation plays a huge role! No matter where in the world you are, no matter what you’re studying for, you need to stop and give yourself some personal time when you need it!

Honorable October Mention: Carrie

With Halloween coming up soon, it would be a crime not to mention the best high school horror movie ever made! Carrie White, a social outcast due to her fanatical mother, is having an extremely difficult time fitting in at school. She believes the students around her are sinners and the only person she can rely on is Miss Collins, her phys ed teacher. 

One thing leads to another and Carrie’s classmates turn against her, eventually treating her horrifically. The rest of the movie is Carrie getting her revenge!

10) Mean Girls

A classic high school movie that stars Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron, a 16 year old who was homeschooled. Cady happens to fall for Aaron Samuels who is the ex-boyfriend of the popular girl, Regina. Cady has to learn the ways of every student she meets in order to fit in and stay afloat of her enemies! A hilarious and often times very heartwarming comedy and well worth a watch when you are taking a break!

9) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

One of the most iconic movies of the end of the century, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is about high school student Ferris Bueller developing an incredibly sophisticated plan to get a day off of school. 

Talking his friend Cameron into it, along with his beautiful girlfriend, they head into Chicago for the day, having the best time they can. Principal Ed Rooney is convinced that Ferris is lying to everyone and tries his best to catch him. All in all a very funny and unforgettable flick!

8) Election

The election for Class President is quickly coming closer and closer and it once again looks like Tracy Flick is going to win. This year, however, one of the teachers at the school, Jim McAllister, has different plans for the outcome. 

He convinces a student named Paul Metzler to run for President, causing a long line of amazing interactions and chains of events, eventually culminating in the winner! A great movie and a great way to spend some time after reading those textbooks!

7) American Graffiti

Before the new Disney Star Wars movies, before the Prequels, and before even the Original Series, George Lucas made different films. While he was most famous for the Star Wars movies and his work on Indiana Jones, Lucas made a heartwarming love letter to small town California in a movie called American Graffiti. 

At the end of the summer in 1962, two recent high school grads, Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander, are about to leave town to head to college. Curt, however, is having second thoughts. A touching and provocative movie about life in another time and all the subtleties of that generation, American Graffiti is an unforgettable glimpse into classic Americana.

6) Heathers

Just an average everyday girl, Veronica tries to survive high school by befriending the three most popular girls at school, coincidentally all named Heather. She eventually meets up with a sociopath named JD and her life spirals into a drama-filled nightmare. 

Trying to overcome hate, unintentional murder, indifference, and many decidedly un-average situations, Veronica exacts revenge on her enemies who are otherwise known as her best friends. A complex and interesting movie for sure!

5) Easy A

What if everyone thought something about you that just wasn’t true? What if you were a clean-cut girl who just wanted to do well and succeed? After lying about losing her virginity, a normal everyday girl’s life starts to parallel Hester Prynne’s in The Scarlet Letter. 

Terrified at first, she later realizes she can utilize her new standing to her advantage! A really funny movie and a clever way to look at popularity and reputation in high school!

4) Clueless

Based on Jane Austen’s Emma, Cher – a Beverly Hills high school student – needs to be able to survive her adolescence. Her external self hides her inner charm, wit, and intelligence which give her the ability to help with relationships, friends, family, and everything else that’s so important to teenage life. A great take on an old classic, this movie really turns Emma into a movie that everyone can watch and enjoy to this day!

3) Dazed and Confused

Lots of high school movies take place near graduation and Dazed and Confused is no different. In small town Texas, in 1976, the graduates are hazing new freshmen and everyone is trying to do their best to get high, drunk, laid, or anything else they can do! 

An absolute classic that stands the test of time and encompasses everything that modern day youth have to go through when they get to college. Don’t watch this and go too wild though!

2) Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Once again taking place in California and based on the real-life adventures of Cameron Crowe, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is the story of Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner who are looking for love and are being helped by their older peers, Mike Damone and Linda Barrett. 

With the help of a perpetually stoned surfer dude, the characters all live through the highs, lows, and hilarity of high school life. A great movie about a completely memorable time in American history, Fast Times is a quality film about youth, love, and life, and will stand the test of time for years to come!

1) Breakfast Club

What happens when you’re stuck in detention with a bunch of other people you have absolutely nothing in common with? Apparently, it looks a bit like what happens in this brilliant classic by John Hughes! In Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois, we encounter Claire Standish, Andrew Clark, John Bender, Brian Johnson, and Allison Reynolds. 

From vastly different walks of life, the kids have to write a one-thousand-word essay about who they think they are, and each of the kids is transformed by the experience. A fantastic film for the ages and one that will truly stand the test of time!