Goodbye High School!

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

<p>With only about 2 months of high school left, I decided it was time to finally vent all my frustrations with my high school experience. To say I'm looking forward to college is an understatement. I only applied to out of state schools except for 1 instate safety because I NEED to get away from the madness.</p>

<p>1. Everyone cheats. I'm sure there are cheaters everywhere, and everyone cheats to some degree. What it unbearable is the utter apathy from teachers/administrators. We are considered one the best schools in the area, but it's just all a lie. The only ones to actually get in trouble on the trouble-makers, and everyone else is just given "warnings."</p>

<p>2. It's just a favorites game. There are many examples (including sports, cheerleading, etc.) where there is obvious bias for/against certain individuals. The thing that got my blood-boiling was the nominee selection process for the Byrd scholarship. The only 3 criteria for selection in Texas are class rank, unweighted gpa, and sat/act score, and each school can only nominate 3 students. I was not selected, but let me explain the ordeal. I am ranked 2nd, 4.0 uw gpa, and have the highest SAT score of anyone at my school. When I inquired with my counselor why I wasn't selected, I was told my SAT score (or ACT equivalent) didn't meet the minimum eligibility requirements to submit it. She told me it was a "1500 minimum" (Math+CR only implied). I searched and quickly realized it was 1500, but including the writing section which I easily passed. At that point, I got my parents involved. When we met with the principal, he changed the story and said they only looked at ACT scores and completely ignored SAT. So my freshmen year ACT test (which I took while I was sick!) was the reason I was not nominated. He had "no idea" what I was talking about when I mentioned the first excuse I was given.</p>

<p>3. They are out to get me! (Basically an extension on #2) Here's the backstory: Our school hosts a door decorating contest for Veteran's day. We use LOTS of paper and stuff to decorate and the day after it all goes in the trash. I made my Facebook status: "Why do we decorate doors for Veteran's day? It's wasteful when we just throw everything away the next day. How patriotic." (My intentioned message was that we should recycle the paper at least) Later in the comments, I clarified that our time could be better spent if we wrote letters to veterans and those currently serving, or really anything that isn't so wasteful! I get called into the office and the principal tells me why I'm there (the facebook status). I chuckled when he said that and he starts YELLING at me, saying it was disrespectful to the veterans visiting our V-Day assembly that day. I honestly was so dang scared. My friends (office aids at the period) said they could hear him from the front desk. He kept asking me if I did anything wrong? I continually said no. He then told me to "never look to [him] for a recommendation." I was so scared and worried because I had no idea what just happened, I left and called my dad. The principal calls me back into his office later to tell me he was upset I got my dad involved. Lol. I basically told him he was being the hypocrite, and told him he was the one not listening to me because he kept telling me I wasn't listening to him. At that point I proceeded to exit the door, and I fainted. Haha. It's true. What a perfect ending for a crazy day!</p>

<p>Would I change where I went to school? Not a chance. If it wasn't for all this oppression, I wouldn't have accomplished all I have. I brought the first academic state championship in at least 15-20 years to the school because I wanted to prove myself. Because the policies of the school, I wouldn't have been driven to write a strongly worded editorial in the school newspaper. And I wrote a college essay about writting the editorial, which I used in all my college applications and Gates Millenium Scholars program application. I actually got complements from my Stanford admission officer about it, also got accepted to MIT, and selected as a finalist for the Gates scholarship. I just love the fact, I'm getting to live out my dreams without a recommendation from my principal.</p>

<p>Who knows if I would be the same strong-willed person if I didn't go to this crazy crazy school! :)</p>

2

<p>that’s some awesome stuff dude!!! intense.</p>

<p>Completly agree with #1- a lot of kids are going to be in for a rude awakening in college.</p>

3

<p>I’m just happy I’ll be leaving for college soon. High school was hell…the academic pressure, the cliques, the relationship drama…
I’ll never look back…</p>

4

<p>At least you are learning at an early age that life isn’t fair.</p>

<p>I am just afraid to let you know that college isn’t going to be this Cinderella-like dream.</p>

5

<p>^Everyone’s told me that haha.</p>

<p>But I figure it can’t be worse than high school, and there’ll be more freedom.</p>

6

<p>Congrats OP, I have much the same situation, except my admins are a little less obvious about it :smiley: and it’s frustrating (to use one of the lighter applicable terms) that you’re stuck here for four years but it’s AWESOME when you get to shove it in their faces: “Hey look, I did this and this and this, even though you tried to stop me :D” Life is good.</p>

7

<p>1- False. Actually, a relatively small number of people cheat, and they will do it in college.
2- Haha. You think that’s going to change EVER in your life? You are sadly mistaken.
3- I agree with what you did. And your principal seems a little off his rocker.</p>

8

<p>cheating is probably the main thing at my high school that really gets on my nerves. so i totoally sympathize with you on that account.
the favoritism and the insane principal isn’t so rampant with me, but thankfully you’re gonna be out of there in no time</p>

9

<p>Blah EVERYONE cheats at my high school…I would say probably 3 of my teachers this year and 4 last year are VERY subjective in their grading so I agree with Affe cause I have a very corrupt high school and don’t like it much either.</p>

10

<p>I don’t know many people that cheat in my school but perhaps it’s because I legitimately do my work.
Favorites is such a stupid game. I’d rather be recognized for my achievements rather than being “the favorite”. Only one teacher does the “favorites” thing with me (I’m a favorite :rolleyes: ) and it annoys me to no end. Other teachers well…I’ve been on the flip side…e.g. not the favorite.
What a nutso principal though! It’s good you came through though and definitely kicked butt! Good on you.
Best of luck at your new college. :)</p>

11

<p>I hate people who cheat off of you, especially if it’s one of your friends.</p>

<p>Your principal is deranged.</p>

12

<p>I TOTALLY know what you mean.
As cocky as it may sound, people like you and me are beyond this whole nefarious concept of high school.
We deserve something MUCH more.</p>

<p>I got wait-listed at Caltech though (Still waiting on Ivies and Stanford). Hopefully we will fit in better in these schools.</p>

13

<p>While I don’t think many high schools are purposely out to get their students, I do think that a lot of the decisions made in high school are pretty arbitrary. A lot of it probably has to do with the closed in environment. I’m sure that many of these things also occur in college, but I get the feeling that it is easier to deal with because you have more freedom. I have come to believe that the bad high school atmosphere is likely caused by the intense insecurity of the majority of the student body (I think this also applies to teachers as well). People often feel like they are inadequate or that their accomplishments are ignored, and for this reason many feel the need to take it out on others. Most people are not at fault, and most people are not solely victims, it’s a vicious cycle.</p>

14

<p>

Maybe not as actively as the OP’s school (!), but a few are definitely not concerned with the welfare of the students…to the extent that they will actively suppress their students’ achievement/progress in order to achieve their own ends. And then that’s where you get the vicious cycle beginning.</p>

15

<p>Hmm…this sounds a lot like my school. You don’t happen to go to school in Houston, do you? Anyway, I definitely understand and sympathize with you on the cheating scandals. It occurs so often and teachers either don’t care or are too lazy to take action. What’s even worse is that students attempt to bribe teachers into giving them good grades (through money, blackmail, etc). I’ve always wondered if it was just my school or if this was a nation-wide trend. Best of luck next year; I guarantee it will be better!</p>

16

<p>Cry maor</p>

<p>10char</p>

17

<ol>
<li><p>Yes this is true. And it won’t stop happening. Nor should you expect it to. If you don’t think it occurs, you are disillusioned.</p></li>
<li><p>They were probably were favorites for a reason. aka, they have something you don’t have, and they need. You’re failing to recognize certain factors or something.</p></li>
<li><p>People have biases. They aren’t invincible. Just human. Learn to adapt. Adaptability is one of the most important features one can have probably.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>But… yes I agree. <em>Inserts cliche</em> What doesn’t kill you only makes stronger.</p>

<p>And true that it does fee awfully good to prove yourself to those people who didn’t believe in you. :)</p>

18

<p>I think cheating happens at a lot of places. It was funny, because my English teacher last year seemed to talk like he knew all about it, but his teaching methods were too high and mighty to enable cheating. He basically seemed to think that he could see through it all. It was very interesting though, because by the end of the year, most of the cheating that I had heard of through high school gossip was in HIS class. Of course, I don’t think he had any idea, none of these kids got in trouble, and he seemed to think very highly of some of them. It was very frustrating for me because I read every page we were assigned and never even used sparknotes, yet I felt like he did not give me the same respect as some of the kids who had cheated. Before I got into college, I had times where I even regretted how I had approached the class, which is really a pretty sad thing now that I think about it.
Something I have observed about cheating is that it takes a different kind of intelligence. Many of these kids are very deceptive and know how to play the system. However, they may have trouble when the system becomes more difficult to operate.</p>

19

<p>I hated highschool so much, I’m graduating a year early.
I just think almost everything students talk about is so trivial.
It’s really annoying at how childish some act, and the fact that all people seemed to be concerned with is sex, partying, and drugs.
I’m not saying literally everyone is, but at my school it’s all I hear coming from people’s mouths.
Of course I know College may be no different, but at least there will be SOME level of maturity there, even if it isn’t much.</p>

20

<p>Obvious AltQQ ■■■■■^.</p>