The Sunday Sarcastica Opinion #7: High School
August 19, 2007
The name alone sounds horrifyingly scary. High school. In my mind I can remember my first day of high school, and I was so scared I could barely breath. Finding out who’s home room I was in was terrifying; instead of going into the gym and having the teachers by grade call up who was in their classes, we had to go into the cafeteria and find our names alphabetically in order to find out what class we were in. We had to do this with the older grades also searching for their names and home room classes. To me, it was intimating. I suppose it didn’t help that B1 had been so nervous about her first day just the year before; I had no idea what to expect, and like most siblings she made it sound rough.
As the day progressed, I realized it wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. I [luckily] went to a small high school, so it was easy to remember where my classes were and figure out the numbering system. That was easy enough. However, I had my first bad experience with high school the day of. During lunch, JD and I were wandering around the halls talking about how it wasn’t as bad as we expected it. I tried to avoid making eye contact with anybody in the higher grades, as I was still super intimated by everyone. My had work at avoiding making eye contact was shot to shit, however, when we walked by a group of grade 12 guys. One of them asked me out, and I knew they were doing it for a laugh, as it was my first day of high school and I was clearly in grade nine. I said no and kept walking. The guy had to further humiliate me by saying “You should lower your standards a bit, that’s what I just had to do.” That really wasn’t the encouraging thing you’d hope to hear on your first day.
Over the next few years things scarcely improved. I made friends, I figured out who I was, but I still encountered people I would have rather not encountered in the first place. When B2 entered grade nine, they handed her a book on depression with advice on how to deal with high school drama. The statistic rate for teen depression has gotten so big over the past decade, they hand out booklets on how to deal with it the day you enter grade nine. This isn’t promising. I suppose there’s nothing you can do about it though, since high school is all about finding yourself. Most kids just find petty, asshole people who strive to be popular by knocking others down.
Needless to say, I’m glad high school is over. I had a lot of good times with my friends, but I wouldn’t go back for anything. I’m not one of those people who was Suzy High School. I was above the drama and pathetic bush parties where you spent more time running from the cops for starting a fire then socializing. Personally, I think parties are occasions to socialize, not run away from cops for underage drinking. And nearly casing bush fires. I found myself in high school though, and I’m thankful for that. I know several people who are still trying to sort that business out.
Now, I think it would be interesting to hear everyone else’s view on high school. What is your worst high school memory? Your best high school memory? Would you go back if you could?
August 19th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
< ![CDATA[High school was fun for me. I had the run of the school, and I made a lot of very good friends with whom I'm still great friends even now.]]>
August 19th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
< 
Uhoh. I might just have to draw that…]]>
August 20th, 2007 at 7:04 am
< ![CDATA[Hah! I was definitely one of the nerds, not a cheerleader.]]>
August 20th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
< ![CDATA[This makes me realize how lucky I am to go to the high school I do. It's really small and everyone isn't stuck in groups. Also, the school is really new so I'll be in the first graduating class, so at no point will I have to deal with annoying older students. I'm still one of the geeks though, and everyone jokes about it with me, but in a friendly way.]]>
August 21st, 2007 at 2:09 pm
< ![CDATA[Are u sure your my sister? High School kicked ass...I wish I was back there! My only regret....I wish I wasn't always dating someone....whatta waste of my time! I missed some good times with some good friends.....oh well I definately made up for it when I was with them! PS In case your wondering...I never had to knock anyone down just to be popular...I think I did alright with just being me! XO S]]>
August 21st, 2007 at 4:26 pm
< ![CDATA[Kylah; my school was small too, and that’s why I hated it. Because it was always the same people “ruling” it and the same assholes trying to fit in. It was annoying.
Shannon; I did alright just being me, but I still hated it anyway. I dislike drama and annoying fights, which are EVERYWHERE at high school.]]>