The_Stick
08-21-2006, 04:14 PM
High school is a long four years, but it can be four of the most memorable years of your life. There are many conflicts and decisions that must be made, which can define you as a person. Here is a guide that will help you in High School.
Define Yourself - Cliques
High School is made up of dozens of cliques and groups with different interests, social levels, and reputations. You can choose to be a part of these cliques or be an individual. This is a list of stereotypical cliques, and what they are all about. It also is a guide on how to survive each High School cliques
Please be aware that very few people are strictly in one clique. Most people fit a variety of different descriptions, to different extents. Cliques may be more obvious in some schools than in others.
Jocks/Cheerleaders - This is the group of people that thinks they "own" the school. To be a jock, you need to play a sport, particularly one that is popular at your school. The bad things about being a Jock is that you have to work extra hard to keep your grades up so you can play. There is a lot of pressure on you from parents, coaches, and other students. Being a jock, there will also be a lot of pressures to drink and do drugs. If you want to be a Jock, you need to be able to say no to peer pressure, and stay out of trouble
Preps - Being a prep doesn’t come cheap. Preps are defined easily by there clothes. This includes: Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Hollister, Polo/Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger. Preps can sometimes be jocks too. Preps are less likely to be pressured into drinking/doing drugs, but it still happens. Preps live a mellow life, and usually have little pressure on them. They mainly listen to Alt. Rock, and are known for always being perky
Goths - This is a group that chooses to express themselves by being anti-social. They typically listen to dark music and where mostly black clothes. They usually are only friends with other Goths and don't like to associate with other groups.
Emos - This group is sometimes associated with the Goths. They are known for being hardcore. Emo is short for emotional, and they usually fit that description. They really want attention and are known for expressing there emotions a lot. You can find them rocking out to Panic! At The Disco or Hawthorne Heights.
Rockers/Punks - They are "hardcore". They have a great passion for music. They can probably list 10000 bands that you have never heard of. They can, in some cases have a lot of friends, but it depends on the school. They like Punk Rock music and are known for wearing black and pink.
Skaters/Boarders -These are people who skateboard/surf/snowboard/inline skate, depending on where you live. They usually keep to themselves, and most of there friends skate too. If they surf, they may be a prep, not a skater. Skaters/Boarders range from being "hardcore" and crazy to being mellow and cool. Drugs and alcohol are very common, however most skaters won’t hate you or make fun of you if you choose to stay away from that kind of stuff.
Ghetto - Baggy clothes, bling-bling, and rap music says it all. The way that they act is different from town to town. In some places, most of the people act Ghetto and are truly from an urban environment. In other places, the people are just acting like they are from the city. The popularity of this group varies from school to school.
Drama Kids - These are the kids in all the school plays. They are not shy, which is why they usually have a lot of friends. They can either be funny and entertaining, or depressed and dramatic. It varies from person to person. They do what they want to do, and don’t care what people think.
Geeks/Nerds - These are the kids that study for hours to get straight A's, and find little time for a social life (Not all people who get good grades are geeks/nerds. A lot of them can be found scattered into the other cliques). They usually stay by themselves, and get picked on a lot. A lot of the times they are on the computer. They have more friends on the internet from other countries, than they do in there own high school.
Losers - These are the kids who are wasting there life away doing drugs. They get in trouble a lot, and don’t care about school at all. Most of the friends they have are just people they do drugs with. They most likely have no future. Stay away from these kids.
**READ**The information about the cliques above is all stereotypical. It is not true everywhere. I am writing this based on what I know from my own experience. If you have anything that you think should be changed, added, or taken away, please say so. Each school is different. I’ve only been to one high school, so I will need your help to improving this. Thanks!
Peer Pressure - What should I do?
Peer Pressure occurs many times and in many ways in High School. This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which shows many situations and what to do in each.
Drinking/Drugs
Q - My best friend since I was 5 years old has started drinking and he is trying to get me to drink too. What should I do?
A - If you have known your friend for this long, they will usually respect your decision. Take advantage of your close relationship, by telling them that they need to stop. They may get made at you in the beginning, but it needs to be done. Very rarely can you stop the friend from drinking on your own. If you can, good job, you have an amazing friendship. If you can't, seek the help of a drug/alcohol counselor if your school has one, or a guidance counselor.
Q - Now that I am in High School I am making a lot of new friends. My new friends want me to drink/do drugs. What should I do?
A - You should tell them that you don’t want to drink or smoke and use a reason. If you are good at sports or a good student, tell them that you don't want to ruin what you have going for you. If they don't accept that, than you should seek new friends. As hard as it may sound, you must do it.
Sports
Q - I am a freshman and I get hazed a lot. The Upper Classmen are making me do things that I don’t want to. What should I do?
A - First you need to find out whether or not what they are doing is hazing. This website (http://www.thegreekshop.com/hazing.html)will show you how hazing is defined in each state. If you are just being forced to carry equipment, or get water, than it is not hazing. If you are being hazed, you have a moral decision to make. You can tell a school administrator, which is what would happen in a perfect world. The only problem is, you will be made fun of greatly and be called a narc. You could tell them to stop, which may work in some cases. The easiest way out is to ignore them and avoid the hazing. They will be gone in a few years. Be sure that you don't pass the tradition down when you are an upper classman.
Q - A few kids on my team are using steroids, and it is helping them a lot. They are getting an unfair advantage on me. What should I do?
A - Slowly, random drug testing of High School athletes is becoming more and more common. Do not join in, even if they appear to be helping other players out. Steroids have some permanent side effects which you definitely don’t want. This includes Gynecomastia (development of breasts in males), impotence, liver and cardiovascular disease, acne, and hypertension. Unless you want these, you should stay away from steroids. Also, tell your teammates that they are jeopardizing the team.
Dating
See "The Basic Dating Questions (http://forums.xgenstudios.com/showthread.php?t=68005)"
Grades
Q - My grades are slipping because...What can I do?
...I have a big social life...
A - Decrease your social life. If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend tell them that you are struggling in school and you need to take a break. A good girl/boyfriend will help you. If you have the option of going out to a party, or studying for a big test, stay home and study. If you can’t miss the party, create a balance. Study until a certain time, and then go to the party.
...I don’t understand the material...
A - There are three options here. You can ask your teacher for help, ask another student who is doing well for help, or you can seek a tutor. All of these will help you bring your grades up
...I am too focused on sports...
A - This is a tricky one. Unless you want to quit your sport (which you probably shouldn't do) you will need to make some sacrifices. You may need to drop any other clubs or extracurricular activities that you are in. You may need to make some sacrifices in your social life. If all else fails, you may need to take away an hour or two of sleep each night. This can sometimes have a negative effect, so see what else you can do, before you resort to this.
That’s it! I spent a good three and a half hours writing this, so I hope you like it. I need your help to make it better. Feel free to tell me what to add/change/delete. I am only one person, and each high school has a slightly different way of running. With your help, I can make this guide more universal.
:)
Define Yourself - Cliques
High School is made up of dozens of cliques and groups with different interests, social levels, and reputations. You can choose to be a part of these cliques or be an individual. This is a list of stereotypical cliques, and what they are all about. It also is a guide on how to survive each High School cliques
Please be aware that very few people are strictly in one clique. Most people fit a variety of different descriptions, to different extents. Cliques may be more obvious in some schools than in others.
Jocks/Cheerleaders - This is the group of people that thinks they "own" the school. To be a jock, you need to play a sport, particularly one that is popular at your school. The bad things about being a Jock is that you have to work extra hard to keep your grades up so you can play. There is a lot of pressure on you from parents, coaches, and other students. Being a jock, there will also be a lot of pressures to drink and do drugs. If you want to be a Jock, you need to be able to say no to peer pressure, and stay out of trouble
Preps - Being a prep doesn’t come cheap. Preps are defined easily by there clothes. This includes: Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Hollister, Polo/Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger. Preps can sometimes be jocks too. Preps are less likely to be pressured into drinking/doing drugs, but it still happens. Preps live a mellow life, and usually have little pressure on them. They mainly listen to Alt. Rock, and are known for always being perky
Goths - This is a group that chooses to express themselves by being anti-social. They typically listen to dark music and where mostly black clothes. They usually are only friends with other Goths and don't like to associate with other groups.
Emos - This group is sometimes associated with the Goths. They are known for being hardcore. Emo is short for emotional, and they usually fit that description. They really want attention and are known for expressing there emotions a lot. You can find them rocking out to Panic! At The Disco or Hawthorne Heights.
Rockers/Punks - They are "hardcore". They have a great passion for music. They can probably list 10000 bands that you have never heard of. They can, in some cases have a lot of friends, but it depends on the school. They like Punk Rock music and are known for wearing black and pink.
Skaters/Boarders -These are people who skateboard/surf/snowboard/inline skate, depending on where you live. They usually keep to themselves, and most of there friends skate too. If they surf, they may be a prep, not a skater. Skaters/Boarders range from being "hardcore" and crazy to being mellow and cool. Drugs and alcohol are very common, however most skaters won’t hate you or make fun of you if you choose to stay away from that kind of stuff.
Ghetto - Baggy clothes, bling-bling, and rap music says it all. The way that they act is different from town to town. In some places, most of the people act Ghetto and are truly from an urban environment. In other places, the people are just acting like they are from the city. The popularity of this group varies from school to school.
Drama Kids - These are the kids in all the school plays. They are not shy, which is why they usually have a lot of friends. They can either be funny and entertaining, or depressed and dramatic. It varies from person to person. They do what they want to do, and don’t care what people think.
Geeks/Nerds - These are the kids that study for hours to get straight A's, and find little time for a social life (Not all people who get good grades are geeks/nerds. A lot of them can be found scattered into the other cliques). They usually stay by themselves, and get picked on a lot. A lot of the times they are on the computer. They have more friends on the internet from other countries, than they do in there own high school.
Losers - These are the kids who are wasting there life away doing drugs. They get in trouble a lot, and don’t care about school at all. Most of the friends they have are just people they do drugs with. They most likely have no future. Stay away from these kids.
**READ**The information about the cliques above is all stereotypical. It is not true everywhere. I am writing this based on what I know from my own experience. If you have anything that you think should be changed, added, or taken away, please say so. Each school is different. I’ve only been to one high school, so I will need your help to improving this. Thanks!
Peer Pressure - What should I do?
Peer Pressure occurs many times and in many ways in High School. This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which shows many situations and what to do in each.
Drinking/Drugs
Q - My best friend since I was 5 years old has started drinking and he is trying to get me to drink too. What should I do?
A - If you have known your friend for this long, they will usually respect your decision. Take advantage of your close relationship, by telling them that they need to stop. They may get made at you in the beginning, but it needs to be done. Very rarely can you stop the friend from drinking on your own. If you can, good job, you have an amazing friendship. If you can't, seek the help of a drug/alcohol counselor if your school has one, or a guidance counselor.
Q - Now that I am in High School I am making a lot of new friends. My new friends want me to drink/do drugs. What should I do?
A - You should tell them that you don’t want to drink or smoke and use a reason. If you are good at sports or a good student, tell them that you don't want to ruin what you have going for you. If they don't accept that, than you should seek new friends. As hard as it may sound, you must do it.
Sports
Q - I am a freshman and I get hazed a lot. The Upper Classmen are making me do things that I don’t want to. What should I do?
A - First you need to find out whether or not what they are doing is hazing. This website (http://www.thegreekshop.com/hazing.html)will show you how hazing is defined in each state. If you are just being forced to carry equipment, or get water, than it is not hazing. If you are being hazed, you have a moral decision to make. You can tell a school administrator, which is what would happen in a perfect world. The only problem is, you will be made fun of greatly and be called a narc. You could tell them to stop, which may work in some cases. The easiest way out is to ignore them and avoid the hazing. They will be gone in a few years. Be sure that you don't pass the tradition down when you are an upper classman.
Q - A few kids on my team are using steroids, and it is helping them a lot. They are getting an unfair advantage on me. What should I do?
A - Slowly, random drug testing of High School athletes is becoming more and more common. Do not join in, even if they appear to be helping other players out. Steroids have some permanent side effects which you definitely don’t want. This includes Gynecomastia (development of breasts in males), impotence, liver and cardiovascular disease, acne, and hypertension. Unless you want these, you should stay away from steroids. Also, tell your teammates that they are jeopardizing the team.
Dating
See "The Basic Dating Questions (http://forums.xgenstudios.com/showthread.php?t=68005)"
Grades
Q - My grades are slipping because...What can I do?
...I have a big social life...
A - Decrease your social life. If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend tell them that you are struggling in school and you need to take a break. A good girl/boyfriend will help you. If you have the option of going out to a party, or studying for a big test, stay home and study. If you can’t miss the party, create a balance. Study until a certain time, and then go to the party.
...I don’t understand the material...
A - There are three options here. You can ask your teacher for help, ask another student who is doing well for help, or you can seek a tutor. All of these will help you bring your grades up
...I am too focused on sports...
A - This is a tricky one. Unless you want to quit your sport (which you probably shouldn't do) you will need to make some sacrifices. You may need to drop any other clubs or extracurricular activities that you are in. You may need to make some sacrifices in your social life. If all else fails, you may need to take away an hour or two of sleep each night. This can sometimes have a negative effect, so see what else you can do, before you resort to this.
That’s it! I spent a good three and a half hours writing this, so I hope you like it. I need your help to make it better. Feel free to tell me what to add/change/delete. I am only one person, and each high school has a slightly different way of running. With your help, I can make this guide more universal.
:)