As an observant rising senior at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, there are definitely some things I have learned about high school in general. Through three years without guidance from an older student, I navigated my way through the idea and reality of high school itself. Though my opinion will not reflect every high schooler’s, I believe it should be valued and respected.
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First things first, the high school you see in movies IS NOT REAL. Don’t be fooled by the thought that everybody will eventually come together and sing a happy song. Don’t think that the world is crashing down. I suggest you get used to it, buddy.
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The worst thing you could do is try to make yourself fit in by not being yourself. Sadly, there are cliques in high school, and you may eventually fall into one. However, the worst thing you could do is force yourself into one. High school is definitely the place where you begin to discover who you are, and by pretending to be someone else, you are only making things harder for yourself.
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I would just like to say that being a jerk to your teachers and peers is not cute — at all, no exceptions. I’m pretty sure you’re saying, “Well, people laugh at it.” No. They are not laughing with you; they’re laughing at you.
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Purposely failing a class is not cute. Getting Fs in class is not cute. Repeating classes is not cute, nor will it help you after high school. In my opinion, high school is only four years, and if you plan to fail during your last years of forced schooling, you’re proving that you really don’t want to do anything after high school.
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The words POPULAR and COOL are only figments of your imagination. There is no such thing as being a part of the “Popular Crew.” In fact, I think you should just take both words out of your vocabulary.
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LOVE does not exist while you’re in high school. Sure, plenty of people will tell you, “I love you,” but then people will also probably call you “best friend” and talk about you behind your back. You’ll probably “talk” to a couple of people, but there is no need to cry over somebody. Fortunately, there is life after high school.
