<p>I feel that way sometimes, especially when I compare my attitude/personality type to that of the average student at the school I go to. They like to do extracurriculars, are very social, wear trendy clothes, most of them would probably ace a job interview. In my case, I am all the opposite: I am a recluse, socially challenged, wear clothes from the discount store, and have a hard time making good impressions.</p>
<p>Sometimes when I walk on campus I catch people staring at me. Do they find me interesting, attractive, or do they wonder what's my business there? The other day I went to the library and when I asked the librarian for help locating a book he asked me if I was a student there. When I said "yes" he pressed his lips and shook his head as if expressing disbelief.</p>
<p>I think I understand their feeling: they probably feel that I give the whole school (the institution itself along with current students and alumni) a bad name. The problem is, I was accepted there. So why should I go out of my way to fit a stereotype? I applied for admission to the school, there is nothing wrong with that, this is a free country, and I could easily have been rejected, but the people who read my application must have liked something about me and accepted me. All those people who think I don't belong to the school I go to (and I'm almost sure there are people who think that way), I wonder why they don't take their anger out on the school's admissions committee instead of taking it out on me. They could write a letter to the admissions committee explaining why they think people like me don't belong in the university.</p>
<p>Sometimes I feel like I am guilty of the crime of doing well academically and subsequently getting accepted into a decent school. I truly feel guilty and at times also hated.</p>
<p>Even if they think you're strange/weird/etc., that doesn't mean they think you give the entire school a bad name...You're just one person out of many, and people usually don't give a single random person very much thought. Some may want to avoid you, but that doesn't equal burning hatred in any way.</p>
<p>"When I said "yes" he pressed his lips and shook his head as if expressing disbelief."</p>
<p>It is quite possible there are alternative explanations of what happened here.</p>
<p>"All those people who think I don't belong to the school I go to (and I'm almost sure there are people who think that way), I wonder why they don't take their anger out on the school's..."</p>
<p>Are you saying you think people are taking out their anger on you? You should probably talk to someone in person about that.</p>
<p>I think you’re overreacting a bit. People don’t really care this much about the people around them to go as far as writing a letter to the admissions committee.</p>
<p>What school do you go to?</p>
<p>
Really, he did that? I mean what do you look like anyway to make him think that way, if he really did in the first place? Like do you fit a certain stereotype?</p>
<p>"Are you saying you think people are taking out their anger on you? You should probably talk to someone in person about that. "</p>
<p>They take their anger out on me through their unfriendly treatment towards me. No, I haven’t been beat up yet…</p>
<p>“What school do you go to?”</p>
<p>I prefer not to say the name, but it’s one of those schools in the top 30 and where many rich kids who couldn’t get into ivies like to go to.</p>
<p>“Really, he did that? I mean what do you look like anyway to make him think that way, if he really did in the first place? Like do you fit a certain stereotype?”</p>
<p>I was wearing old thrashy clothes, my hair was messy and my face was probably unshaven.</p>
<p>If they don’t think you belong there they obviously don’t know you. Admissions obviously saw something in you that they felt was a asset to their community, be proud.</p>
<p>I agree you might want to speak with someone so not to internalize it.</p>
<p>"Are you saying you think people are taking out their anger on you? You should probably talk to someone in person about that. "</p>
<p>They take their anger out on me through their unfriendly treatment towards me. No, I haven’t been beat up yet…"</p>
<p>Actually, I’m suggesting you talk to someone in person, to see if your perceptions are based on reality. Sounds like trouble waiting to happen, if you start to feel you have to defend yourself against people taking their anger out on you.</p>
<p>Why would you let yourself leave your room like that? People warm up better to a neat appearance.</p>
<p>You have three options:</p>
<p>1.) Try to compromise or assimilate with your peers.
2.) Don’t care what anyone thinks and move on with your life (you might be overanalyzing or misreading their cues anyway)
3.) Keep worrying and being upset about something when you have the option of whether to change or not.</p>
<p>If you have such a problem with how people see you, then you ought to change how you are. Not to say that conforming is the appropriate response always, but since you’re not happy being different your options are to get happy or shut up and act like everyone else. : )</p>