It’s a mess out there

Hushed murmurs and the  sound of feet shuffling echoed through the entrance of HHS. Returning students conversed with their peers while I took in the scenery of a brand new school.

A word to describe my first day is “chaotic.” Coming from a small junior high, I had never been exposed to so many people.

Students filled the mall, an an area where most people met up to talk with their peers. School is by far the worst place to find students with manners. They will bump and push past you without the slightest “I’m sorry,” or “excuse me,” but hey who really cares?

However, I admired the diversity of the building; everyone seemed to enjoy each other’s company despite race or religion, and I was intrigued.

I was removed from my thoughts by the loud bell for first block.

“Crap,” I mumbled to myself.

I was not prepared for what was yet to come.

I made my way down the hallway, receiving blank stares from students who appeared to be juniors and seniors.

Apparently, they owned the school, and sophomores were just an accessory. A couple students noticed my frustration in finding my first block class, but yet again, no one seemed to show the least bit of empathy.

“Okay, students, we have a new student to the class! Please, introduce yourself,” my new teacher said.

I couldn’t help but feel instant rage shoot through my body. I was in a class full of older students who didn’t know me, and I wanted to keep it that way.

I stood from my chair in the back of the room and mumbled, “My name’s Fatou, but I prefer Fatima.”

After my introduction, I analyzed the room and the students. Each person had different characteristics that were unexplainable, but seemed to make them unique.

Lunch was by far the most difficult experience of the entire day. I was basically a fish out of water. I didn’t know my lunch pin, or where to get food, and, most importantly, who to sit with.

Various faces scattered the lunchroom, but I could not figure out who would match my personality best. I didn’t want to be a burden upon anyone, so I settled on sitting at a table by myself. Great way to seem cool, huh?

After lunch, I walked to my last class ashamed and embarrassed by my first lunch experience. I tried to shake off the feelings, yet I still questioned why no one wanted to sit with me.

My last block, Newspaper, was filled with a handful of juniors and seniors. To say the least, I was an antelope in a room full of tigers. I tried to play the cool kid and seem outgoing, but yet again I completely failed.

“Okay class, to start off, tell us what kitchen utensil you would use to describe your summer,” my teacher, Mr. Kocur, said.

Really? A kitchen utensil? Of all things… I thought to myself.

“Uh. Is it Fa…tou?”

“Yes, but I prefer-” I sighed. “Never mind.”

“What utensil?”

I tried to think of the coolest kitchen utensil invented, which obviously wasn’t the easiest thing to do.

“Um. A butter knife?” I answered nonchalantly.

What a cool idea. Goodbye to ever being popular.

“Wow. Pretty boring summer, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess…”

The rest of the class time was spent coming up with story pitches for the first issue of the paper. Hearing students yell out potential ideas for the paper made me feel like I was in an actual conference room with legitimate writers.

I enjoyed seeing everyone’s engagement in the conversation and silently watched until I was assigned a story. I decided on writing about my first day experience, which could possibly help other new students know they’re not alone.

My advice? Don’t believe the hype. There aren’t students dancing on tables or bursting out into song. High school isn’t a musical.

It is nothing like what’s depicted on television; it’s the complete opposite. But keep a positive mindset and surround yourself with extraordinary individuals.

Take it from me – it gets better.