High school

[jules]

So, I just looked at the calendar... and I start high school in less than six days. I'ma be a freshman. :)

I dunno... I thought I was all okay with it, but I'm realizing I'm a bit nervous now. Don't know why... it won't be that much different from last year... but yet, I'm feeling slightly scared. (It's hard to scare me.)

So, I guess what I want from you guys is some consolation. Tips, tricks, stories, I don't care. I know many of you have been there, done that, and survived...

Comfort me!

...please? :p

[mute]

ahem... Lessons? :)

My story is long, and I'm burnt out.

To be continued...

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This is something I wrote more than a year ago. Still seems pretty accurate.

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Well here it goes, the pathetic story that once happened (well i guess still happening, but not to a great extent) in my life...

This is what I think best describes the whole load of crap(hahah you say? good)...

When I changed from Junior High to High School, I didn't like it. And the last year of junior high is when i started smoking dope, and drinking beer...

Going into Junior High wasn't too bad, I was shy. I had friends, and I made new friends. Also that last year in Junior High I started gettin to know 'her'...

Well I sure as hell liked her, she was pretty, but I had no 'interest' in her at the time. Well I loved that last year in grade 9, I had fun shit causing times in school, I got high which was fun and I got kicked out of school at the end of the year (and passed missing all my last exams and projects)...

Well High School sucked, 2 of my good friends had to stay back in grade 9 and my friends who did go on to High School hung out with 'tough' fucks, who scared me a little. Then I went and hung out with a bud from my class in grade 9 who I caused shit with, who hung around preps...

Football wearing, gelled up the yingyang hair fruits. People who stick their chests out and try to talk in deeper voices than the ones they have, you know who I'm talking about? They judged so quickly...

I don't know why i had so much trouble making friends then, I think it was the dope. Made me depressed, and worse was my friend who introduced me thought he was cool who bugged the shit out of me...

Well I ran...

By November I was in a private school, which I thought I wanted. It was o.k., but it sucked more, but by that time I had to stay. Well I was fine then, I didn't really care what they thought of me, and I got along with everyone fine. I even met this sexy girl who I talked to the most...

Still I wished I was back public school being 'cool', and having fun like I did in grade 9...

I went to the high school dances sometimes with my friend and I had fun. But this one time I went, 'she' came up to me and hugged me, and said she missed me....... wow

Before I go on, when I first got to know her in Junior High, she has been going out with the same guy since. Meaning she still is now...

Right then, that hug didn't seem like much but it does now. Sometime in the spring that year, I HAD it. I didn't want to go to school, I made up lies, to my parents, of how the people there didn't like me and I didn't go. And while I was in my car debating whether to go, 'she' popped in my head, and I wanted to see her smile so bad...

That's when it started, I preyed everyday to meeet up with her, or she'd call me and we do something.Ii didn't call her, no, I was too paranoid she'd think i like her (i don't know why but I was)

By grade 11 I went back to public school with my friends, and I made friends, even friends with those preps. Funny how things got back to the same and work out...

Grade 10 awful year...

But I still preyed, everyday. Asked her for a ride home(she lived down the road).

I dropped out second semester for some reason, to become a bum, and she called one day and said she missed me..... cool

Everyday it got worse, how I oh so was in love with her. But she had a boyfriend. Ok taken, move on. But no, I didn't. I see it like this, how could I have a relationship with a girl if I always thought of her...

It went on into Fall of grade 12. Along this whole way I did stuff with her. Hung out, got drunk, smoked up. She was a friend, an aqqaintance... I still went on, hiding this emotion for her. I never told NO ONE. Incase she might find out...

Then one night on ICQ, I talked to my bros friend about it. He said tell her how you feel. My other bros friend got into the conversation and said the same...

Also, around that time her boyfriend and her were the type that fought, broke up and then went back out again...
She bitched about him a lot. It seemed she deserved better, but that was my take on it(meaning didn't mean shit)...

I debated telling her, what could happen from it? Would she get scared and not talk to me? One night hanging out in McDonalds parking lot after the hockey game, she drives up. Me thinking she wouldn't be waving me over I didn't go over. But she was, my friend told me and he called me an idiot...

Then I thought, I have to tell her...
Why? I don't know either...

So the next day, a sunny Saturday, I called her up and we went out. I told her I had to talk to her about something, she asked "about a girl?"

I said "yea..."

We went out talked, we got some weed, and we parked smoked it, then I told her. It couldn't have come out any dumber. I was high, stuttering, not making sense. But she got the picture,

I was in love with her...

She didn't know what to say. She was shocked. She never had a clue (and for some reason I thought she did). Well she started driving and I told her to drive me home. I felt so pathetic and she was weirded out...

She said she loved her boyfriend, and I replied "I never came into this thinking you'd fall for me, I just thought you should know.."

She dropped me off, and we had our awkward say of good bye...

Boy I felt stupid, I paced around the house. I tried playing computer, watching tv..... NOTHING could take my mind off of one thought, "What does she think of me now?"

I felt liked puking at first, I sat in my washroom and cried. I was pathetic...

Well the next week at school I said ,"hi", and she smiled and asked "How ya doing?"
I said I was alright. My feeling then seemed comforting.

Well we were still friends after that, but never talked about it. Still friends now (though I haven't seen her since the Summer and it's February) and I thought I woulda never given up on her, but I eventually did 3 and a half years later. I kinda miss her, talking to her about stuff. Talking to her like we were good friends, maybe we were...

She misses junior high like me. Don't smoke the dope. If you choose to use a drug, I only suggest the alcohol beverages. But it's your life, be wise my friend.

[zim]

my suggestion for you is as follows:

Take a piece of paper. write down on it what you think your identity is now, and what you want your identity to be in 4 years.

Put it away. Take it out every year at this time and update it with what you are at the time you're writing it, and what you want to be when you complete high school.

As you go through these years, take it out occasionally, and think long and hard about how important it is for you to meet that goal.

What I'm basically saying here is to just be true to yourself. Be true to who you are and who you want to be, a little reminder like this may go a long way.


Oh, and do it on paper. For some reason written text has more meaning than typed.

[Venus]

When I was a freshman, I was the typical freshman. I thought I was cool cause I was in highschool now. Little did I realize until it was too late that being in highschool ment shit. I was the baby, the lowest of the low. I had upperclassmen as friends, my sister was even a senior. Did that help my status? No it did not. Not at all. I learned my place really quick. Here's how:

I started smoking the summer going into my freshman year. So when I got to highschool, I hung out in the smoking section on my lunch hour. Most of the people there were juniors or seniors. All my friends smoked, so they were all there, as was my sister. Now, the smoking section was never lceaned. Ciggarett butts all over, trash everywhere. So the principal decided that if we didn't clean it up, he'd take it away. Well the upperclassmen got permission to make freshman clean it us as an initation. One sunny day, someone thrust a broom in my hand and told me to clean the area. I said to hell with that, and gave him the broom right back. He tried it again, and got the same reaction. Next thing I know, I was being carried over his head toward the big dumpster. Lifted up over the edge, when a voice shouted from behind, "oh you better put her down on the ground or...." He did as he was told, and turned around. There was my sister and all my friends. Man I love my sister. My advice? Be scared. It's good for ya. Leave people alone, they'll leave you alone.

[mute]

I had upperclassmen as friends, my sister was even a senior. Did that help my status? No it did not. Not at all. I learned my place really quick.

ditto.

Oh yea, watch out for initiation ;) I got it bad. Me and my friend got duct-taped back to back. My brother and his friends threw all kinds of crap on us, threw us in the back of a truck, took us to an outside field party, threw us on the ground and said "LET EM HAVE IT."

Well, I don't think I've had that much shit throw on me. Eggs, beer, ketch-up, mustard, and other mush of some sorts.

I never initiated anyone in High School for some odd reason. All my friends did, some went the way of the paddle. Sorry to say, that is funny :D

[Koliedrus]

Somehow I was lucky enough to avoid humiliating initiations. I think it had something to do with taking The Colonel's advice about grabbing the biggest thing near me that I could lift and whapping the biggest guy in the group upside the head. Only had to do it once. It helped that they knew of The Colonel. Small town.

Scouts was another matter. Swirlies and Red Bellies were being doled out to the Tenderfeet (of which I was one) when one of the Eagles asked me if I'd been initiated yet.

"Red Belly? Does that count?"
"Yeah", he said and ruffled my hair before walking away.

He thought I was describing how I'd been initiated. I was choosing a method of torture.

Hey, I was a Tenderfoot! I didn't know about the Honesty part yet.

Here's something to keep in mind, Jul. Those seniors that act high and mighty? They'll be noobs again when the year is over. And how! That's when they either become freshmen again or they directly enter MY world.

Pay attention. Do good work. Learn what's being taught. Don't forget us when you become successful.

[Asmodeus]

About the only advice I can give:

Go in with no expectations. Make it as you will. If you like to study, learn, etc. hang with the nerds. We all end up working for them in the future anyway.

If you are atheletic(jock) hang out with them, but that is a downward spiral into obscurity- believe me, I know.

It does not matter really. Just go, stick yer head in whatever doors are open to ya, and those that aren't, and see it for what it is.

I hated highskool. I didn't fit into any "crowd" or stereotype. At heart I guess I was a nerd. But, I had to hang out with the jocks- me being oh mister football, etc. All I wanted was a nice quiet place, a bottle of booze in one hand and a book in the other.

Good luck.

[Koliedrus]

Originally posted by Asmodeus
... hang with the nerds. We all end up working for them in the future anyway.

Which reminds me. You have a 22 21 post deadline by this weekend.

[Koliedrus]

Ah! You seem to be progessing rather well, Asmo.

Believe me. If you don't reach the 1000 mark by Saturday, giving you this might be one of the most painfuls things I've ever done. Not to mention the trauma it will cause to those around you.

Get to work.

[mute]

Go in with no expectations. Make it as you will. If you like to study, learn, etc. hang with the nerds. We all end up working for them in the future anyway.

If you are atheletic(jock) hang out with them, but that is a downward spiral into obscurity- believe me, I know.

You forgot the pot-heads. That will lead you into downward spiral worse than the jocks. Funny I didn't fit into a group either, and I am a nerd at heart. I hung around the dopeys and jocks, and fit in as some dude I guess :)

[alterego]

I never really cared i think always skippin class and stuff coz i had intersting things to do. Im still in uni and it sucks.

Oh wait you asked for an advice not a rant sorries.:D

[Deadpool]

Prepare to feel awkward and alienated for most of the time in your HS life. During this time you will meet morons on a level you have never experienced (Average HS sized here was about 2000 people so chances are good), hell some will become your friends.
Everyone is HS seems to have the desire to "one up" eachother on the "Preceived" cool scale.
Theres always someone who wants to kick your ass.
Theres always someones ass you want kick.
YOU will form a clique.
YOU will pressured to do things you normally wouldn't do by your peers.
YOU will gossip about other people.
Other people will gossip about you.
Someone(teacher or student) will try to touch your bum.

[estero]

I loved highschool. Take it easy and try to have a good time. Don't worry so much about what others think and do what you feel is right.

[Venus]

Originally posted by Deadpool

Someone(teacher or student) will try to touch your bum.

She'll be lucky if that's all they try to touch.

[MuffyTheVampyreLayer]

Choose your friends carefully, don't be mean to others simply because they are not cool, and don't hang out with people who are cool that treat you like crap. You seem pretty self contained, but a lot of people your age are really fucked up and will drag you down with them given the opportunity.

Make the most of the education you are offered, english math and science may seem infinately boring compared to your social life, but you're social life isn't going to pay the bills when you leave school.

Try not to get pregnant, it's not really conducive to good grades.

umm... thats about it.

Actually, I'm sure you'll be fine - the people who have the hardest time at school are those who are stupid or easily lead, you don't seem to be either.

[Mudflap]

Don't fall into the trap of locating your self esteem in the opinions of the other students and whether or not they like you. They don't know dick about people or the world. You are teh win simply because of who you are. If the other kids can't recognize that, it's not your problem. Don't conform just to "fit in" and don't bend over backwards to try to stand out and be different. Just be YOU. YOU rock. That should be good enough for you and will have to be good enough for everyone else.

You'll be a raging success, I have no doubt.

[Deadpool]

Originally posted by MuffyTheVampyreLayer
You seem pretty self contained, but a lot of people your age are really fucked up and will drag you down with them given the opportunity.

Make the most of the education you are offered, english math and science may seem infinately boring compared to your social life, but you're social life isn't going to pay the bills when you leave school.



Heh. This is so true. I know people who are broke ass scum because they refuse to mature and still try to be cool.
If you want to be "All dat" try to be financially secure first, which is to say you are not going to be able to do that in HS.

[Asmodeus]

Originally posted by Koliedrus
Ah! You seem to be progessing rather well, Asmo.

Believe me. If you don't reach the 1000 mark by Saturday, giving you this might be one of the most painfuls things I've ever done. Not to mention the trauma it will cause to those around you.

Get to work.

Awww, it's even in my size...

[Torque]

Seeing that nobody mentioned academics, I will. I know from chat that you're a smart cookie anyway, but try to use high school to develop study methodologies that work for you, and also some academic discipline. You may not need it so much in high school, but when you get to college, you aren't really getting an education until you're sweating.

Socially? Cliques sort of suck, choose the folks you hang out with by individual personalities, and get the best of all worlds. Take this from the wrestling ROTC punk rock autoshop guy. Help others when you can, but remember to toss drowning folks a rope, going into the water yourself, you can both drown.

Just soak up extracuricular activities as you can, but be sure to leave yourself some lazy time, and don't get to cool to go out on a Friday night with your parents once in a while.