Kalyssa H., Magsig Middle School
The New Student
As a student, it can be hard to have confidence. I always see friend groups everywhere that I would never be in, and people who I look at and think “Wow, I want to be like her”. Walking alone through crowded halls hearing the muffling voices from around me. It’s scary, but only because I made it that way.
I came from a regional school, it was so complicated at that school that my work and self-confidence went down. I took some time to think and decided to leave the school around January of my 7th grade year, and go to an actual public school. That school was completely new to me. My parents enrolled me and I was so excited. I would finally get a fresh start with new friends, new classes, less stress, and a whole new building.
The first day came, I woke up in the morning with my backpack on, new shoes, and I was ready to go. Then my mom told me I was riding a bus, and I’ve never ridden a bus to school before so I was scared. I thought I was going to be late and I didn’t know anyone to sit next to on the bus, I didn''t feel confident at this point. All I could do was worry. My mom told me school was on a 2-hour delay on my first day, and that didn’t help much. I didn’t know if the bus would still come or not so I waited and went to the bus stop just in case.
The bus got here and I was panicking. My mom looked at me and told me the best advice I could ever have had at this kind of time, she said “Don’t worry, get to school or on the bus and make new friends. Remember, we were all strangers at one point in our life. '''' She was right. I got on the bus, sat in the front seat, and talked to the kid next to me. I changed the way I acted so people wouldn’t get the wrong impression of me so I only made smart choices. He helped me around the school on my first day and introduced me to so many new people who happen to be my best friends now.
I was so scared to meet all these new people but all I had to do was be myself and so many people accepted that so quick. It was like you didn’t have to fit in just to be liked. I went home and was so happy that I got through day one with all these new friends knowing that I could go back tomorrow and make more. All I do is remember what my mom told me, and to this day, I talk to new people more than I ever expected and always make new friends.
