BC side effects?

I am thinking about going on the pill, but I am very afraid of the side effects. When I had biology in high school, they just told us all the nasty stuff hormonal birth control can do to you (weight gain, emotional imbalances, gettin more sweaty and hairy, etc) but a lot of you seem to use it and like it so I guess it isn’t really as bad as they made it seem.

What is your experience with the pill? Are the side effects really something to fear?