What would you change about high school?
At school today, one of my teachers asked me, “If you had one thing to change about being in high school, what would it be?” I didn’t think much of it, but then on the way home from school today, it suddenly dawned on me. I would change the way teenagers care so much about what other people think. I mean, for real, think about it. When you go shopping, you try on things for other people, not for yourself, because you’re constantly wondering – what will other people think about me?
This definitely applies to teen driving. We speed, we turn the radio on full blast, we drive dangerously, because we think that our friends will think it’s cool. Why do teens even care about what other think? For that matter, why would you put yourself in DANGER just to make someone think you’re COOL?
I’m glad my teacher asked me that question. It makes me wonder, what would other people change about being in high school?
They need to stop starting school so early in the morning! I gotta have my sleep.
What would I change about high school? I would change the order of importance my friends and I placed, and continue to place on priorities, such as being “cool” over true concerns like family or doing well in school. Looking back at my four years of high school, I realize many of the end-of-the-world problems I stressed about were not as big of a deal as they seemed to be. I was always trying to win the approval and acceptance of my peers. I became so scared of what they might say or do if I tried to accomplish something and failed, that fear itself kept me from trying at all. Although my actions were not as severe or dangerous as they could have been, I nonetheless did not escape the jaws of peer pressure. If I could do it all again I wouldn’t have let fear stop me from being myself.
What would I change about my high school? I would love to change the cliques that exist. I mean why do they exist? Could it be that it is the only way to make friends? I for one do not believe in these but, however, I do notice them. No matter how hard you try to avoid them you still end up in one of them regardless if you are even aware of it. It’s true because I for one have been classified as a member of the nerd clique. I mean I don’t mind, but I don’t want to be known as the nerd for the rest of my life. I would love to be known for my personality and my charisma. Why can’t cliques just vanish for good? Must they be part of our life? Hasn’t anyone noticed that labeling an indiviual brings downs their expectation, their self-esteem? Though one things for sure, cliques seem to be controlling our life.