The High School Current
For me, high school has started off to a wonderful start.
It has taught me a lot about myself and who I’m supposed to be socially. It has also taught me about people that talk like the previous sentence I just put down on paper. To be honest, high school only gives you a brief glimpse into yourself. The rest is still a blur. Sugar-coating and pretending are not good strategies into the American dream. Although I am no expert on teen brains, I know a few things about what it means to be in high school.
One may call this a guide, but I believe this is the natural way most students go subconsciously. All humans tend to want to go with the flow and not swim against the current. Yet, it is the instances that we do choose to go against the crowd that define us as we really are. Social acceptance is one of the most important factors that contribute to confidence and character. This all begins in high school with the constant worries in the back of your mind like who to sit with at lunch and who you’ll know in all of your classes. The books I read in my English classes all seem to have some sort of lesson that teaches students to be who they are and be comfortable in their own skin.
Even though this is a very good way to live life, high school is not the best place to start this lifestyle. Clubs, sports, friends, ands smarts all divide students into separate groups. People tend to hang out with people that have the same interests and ideas. When one is thrown into high school and expected to jumble with the crowd just fine, comfortable in your own skin is a hard place to arrive at. Let’s start with the social hierarchy.
Coming from a small junior high, most people worry where they are going to fit into the high school status. Popularity seems to be the most important thing to some people. I mean who doesn’t want to be invited to every party every weekend? This fact puts a lot of pressure on high school kids to try and become something they are not. Faking yourself into popularity is just about the worst thing you could do to yourself. Once someone unearths the real you, it’s over.
No one wants to hang out with a two-faced faker. That’s reality and not a lot of teens realize this. It comes into play in every aspect of social life: friends, dating, sports, and even college one day. It is like that natural high you feel when listening to your favorite song when it finally hits you. Who you are for real is all you are ever going to be. No one can change it.
If people can’t accept you for who you are, then deep down, they’ve got some character issues, too. Being popular is not what life is about. As long as you are surrounded by people that love and respect you for all that you are, your life is filled with everything you need. Just because you aren’t invited to the Prom Queen’s end of the summer party where she rents out all of Navy Pier doesn’t mean you are a horrible person. It indicates who your real friends are.
Go party with them! The social hierarchy should be chewed up, digested, and buried. It is really the cause of so much drama and pain for the stupidest reward. I would say grow up and be thankful for the people surrounding you! Dating is also a hotspot for teen drama. I know that everyone likes to brag about who they did with what. Sometimes it disgusts me to think that that’s all we care about as teens. Although we are too young to realize what love really means, we should at least try to have fun with people we care about.
Dating is a tricky subject. Some people crave it and some people hate it. I’m telling you, whether it is a boyfriend or a girlfriend that you’re waiting for, they like confidence. It is just plain awkward to be with someone that is timid and won’t tell you anything about themselves. Having things in common helps, but there is a theory that opposites attract. So don’t freak out if your significant other doesn’t exactly fit your type.
The best matches happen spontaneously. If you wait for the right person, all the benefits will come to you. Throwing yourself out there is not a popular move, even though it may work for a little while. When someone finds out that you’ve been with every single guy or girl on the basketball team, they’ll move on to find someone more fresh and new. Those few people that you are meant to be with have been waiting for you, too. So it’s okay if you haven’t had 27 boyfriends/girlfriends.
In fact, that’s a little said that you’ve went through that many in this short period that you call your life. Remember it’s not quantity, it’s quality. The social aspects of high school are nothing but tough. Some figure it out early, however, and learn that swimming with the current can be boring sometimes. You are your own unique entity and that’s what people should love you for.
Changing just to be considered is wrong. The true key to high school is your natural, charming character. Use it to unlock a world of fun, love, and people that will always be there to pick you up.
