public school

[blackheartedballerina]

my mother has decided that it is a good idea to send my brother and i to public school for the first time. why she thinks dumping us in school junior year after being home schooled and quite sheltered, i have no idea. the idea really scares me, but honestly i think she's made up her mind, and my brother is not opposed to the idea, so where one twin goes, the other must follow.

the only shred of hope i have is that i will find a few people who are like me, a bit quirky, a bit off beat, who like art and music, but the school we would be going to is the crappiest high school in the county and i don't think im going to like it much. they get the lowest test scores, its a dirty, ugly school, and because of this, all of the bad students and teachers get placed there. also, it is impossible to switch to a better school, even though there are others very close by, so there's that.

i don't know what i should do. i don't want to be that weird new girl who knows nothing about the world, dresses in thrift store clothes, and draws morbid pictures, i like these things about myself, but when your only knowledge of public schools come from books, which cant be trusted to depict an accurate setting, you tend to imagine the worst.

[PSY]

I attended private schools up until high school. At that point, I decided to attend public school (for various reasons). I was terrified, but I also knew that I had lived a "sheltered" life up until that point and needed to develop a tougher skin. I don't regret switching to public school, so I hope that will at least provide you with some comfort. We're usually scared of the "unknown," but once you start to become more familiar with your surroundings or the situation you're facing, it's not as scary.

It's easy to see "public school" as a single unpleasant entity; however, you have to remember that "public school" actually consists of hundreds (if not thousands) of people. Sure, some of them may be unpleasant to be around, but many of them are looking for a good friend to keep them company as they work toward graduating. No, you're not going to get along with everyone you meet... but if you make an effort to get to know people better, you're bound to find a few people whom you can relate to. They may not become your best friends, but they'll keep you company.

I'm guessing your public school will have a few clubs available to students. I encourage you to check those out and see if any of them are a good fit for you! For example, if you like to draw, then there might be an art club you can join. Worst-case scenario, you can always join a club OUTSIDE of school (assuming your mother is willing to drive you to a community center, organization's headquarters, etc. in order to participate in meetings/activities).

A lot of this is about the attitude you develop and the amount of effort you put into improving your situation. If you decide that public school is going to suck, then it will probably suck. If you decide that public school will be difficult to adjust to, but will also offer you some growth opportunities, then it won't be as bad as you're currently anticipating it will be. Good luck, and feel free to keep us updated on your situation!

[Dream]

If students get the worst test scores, then it might be a blessing in disguise in a way because people will be less judgmental perhaps than at schools where everyone is ultra competitive. Public schools that performed better where I am from also happened to have the worst drug and bullying problems. My high school did much worse on the exams, but it was really because most of the students were poor. The poorer students tend to be more laid back, and that makes it easier to get through the experience overall.