High School is not an easy place to survive in, within many high schools out there, you will be made fun of if you are different, that is a simple fact. If you are over weight you will be made fun of because of it, if you look different you will be told so, if you like theater you will be called gay and looked down upon, and if you are gay you will be faced with tough times ahead. Of course this is not the case in every high school, some high schools have evolved and become places where people are accepted for who they are and encouraged to be themselves, though sadly this is not what is the case among the majority of high schools, those four years for many are tough years indeed, there is a bright road ahead of you though, an escape, and that is college. There is no explanation to how this phenomenon occurs, but at college all the dynamics change, you are now allowed to be you, and not some created version of you that everyone likes, it's a beautiful thing, here is a brief overlook at the stereotype changes that occur: (of course this does not apply to all colleges and universities but this does fit the majority of them)
Revenge Of The Nerds
In high school you might have been picked on, you might have been ridiculed for studying hard and getting good grades, but in college you are respected and fellow classmates look up to you as the person they want to be friends with and study with, because grades in college matter, a lot. Another big factor is that you will be surrounded by a ton of other nerds, meaning if anyone messes with you they will also be messing with that 6'2 nerd that plays dungeons and dragons who happens to be a boxer, a nerd could be taken down, a group of nerds is a thing to be feared. The word Nerd as well takes on a different meaning, while in high school it is a negative term in college its a positive, a lot of people call themselves nerds, its become an accepted term, classifying a whole genre of people, people that like comic books, movies, video games, cartoons, and so on, all refer to themselves as nerds. When you arrive at college you will fit in within one of these groups, realize you are not alone and have a fantastic college career. So keep up your studies and apply to good programs out there, remember that those programs are hard to get into which means that only people that study as hard as you will make it there, thus you will surely make friends and have a blast with people that have similar ideals as you. Have hope, stay strong, and finish right, be encouraged.
The Evolution From Bully-Jock To Nice-Awesome-Jock
Not all jocks are bullies in high school, that's true, but there are a lot that think being a bully is their job in life. The heightened sense of importance gives them a false sense of power and thus corrupts them and places the idea of superiority within their heads. This means having exclusive parties, picking on people, not associating with people and so on. Again this is not a depiction of all jocks, there are some nice jocks out there, but we're going for the stereotype here, and stereotypes exist for a reason. When you arrive in college you will realize that being nice to everyone is a great thing, because in the end of the day these are your fans, these are the people who will love you and cheer you on, and party with you and make posters with you on them and so forth. Thus the mechanics change, most athletic programs require their players to have a certain GPA, so all that studying that you did not do while at high school you will do now, and who will tutor you? the nerds of course, thus giving them power over you, but no worries this is college, a time where everyone comes together and acknowledges one another. This again is not the case in all colleges, and does not apply to all the people within a college, but as a rule jocks that are nice and treat other people with respect go places and are loved by everyone, example Robert Griffin III, yeah, it pays off to grow up and respect others. For the jocks out there that are already being great guys/girls while in high school, we raises our glasses to you, way to be the difference.
Those Who Love Theater
Being into theater and going to high school may sometimes cause you to be shunned by many. When it comes to theater the problem has decreased a little because of shows like "Glee" that showed the world the problems that those students face, and at the same time made being within a Glee Club something 'cool', though again this is not the case still within many high schools. Specially if you happen to be a homosexual, high school is truly rough on you. College brings about a new mechanic though, where the homosexual within your high school was someone that was made fun of, in college he is one of the coolest guys to know and hang out with. This really happens, and theater kids become the people you really want to know and be friends with. Theater people as a rule through the best parties, themed parties, birthday parties, masked parties, whichever Theater people know how to have a good time. Going to your school plays in not frowned upon but encouraged, and the cast is praised by the student body not shunned, therefore college changes the mechanic around completely here. You should always do yourself a favor and become friends with some theater people, they are always a blast, from picking up instruments and singing, to being hilarious and reenacting scenes, as a whole they are a blast to hang out with.
YOU
Maybe you don't fit into a major stereotype, maybe you are your own person, maybe you like everyone or you don't like everyone, maybe you love pop culture or you don't love pop culture, maybe you like to surf, maybe you like to paint, or maybe you just like to lay around and do nothing, the good news is that you are not alone, and you will find a group of friends at college that like doing similar things that you like to do. This is a simple rule as well, college brings people with similar interests together, it just happens, you'll look around on your second year and realize that all your friends are like you and that for the first time you can be you without feeling like you are alone, its a wonderful thing. This also applies to those that fit into many different stereotypes, a jock who likes video games and comics who happens to love theater will find people that are similar to him, where as in high school he might not have been able to be himself, now he has the opportunity to express how he really feels and show who he really is.
Something To Look Forward To
College changes the dynamic, so if you are having a tough time in high school remember that you are not alone, that there are tons of other students going though the same things you are, and remember that you will meet them soon in college and be surrounded by a community that cares about you being you, and that is the freedom found at most colleges. We won't generalize here and say that all colleges hold this freedom but we feel comfortable making the statement that many colleges fit into this category. This article did play on many stereotypes and of course those can be flawed and do not apply to all high schools or colleges, though research states that there is a change that occurs in college, a social class shift that changes the game and provides you with an environment more accepting of you being you, instead of you fitting the "cool" mold found in high school.
We hope and pray that one day middle school and high school might be a little more like college in its acceptance of people that are different than the whole. While that takes its time to occur we encourage you to be yourself and do what you love, encourage others to do the same, and know that you will soon be able to have that freedom when you go to college. We hope you have a fantastic Friday, and a glorious weekend.
Love from your humble blogger,
No comments:
Post a Comment