So last night I was videochatting with a friend, and in India right now they have board exams so she was telling me about how much she was working...and how lucky I was that I lived in a place where nobody worked.
So if you, like me, go to high school here, you know perfectly well how untrue that it. We have to balance everything!
"Oh you're so lucky, you can drive."
Yes we are lucky. But its not just a privilege, it's also a priority. We don't have drivers! When I come home from school if I had to stay late, I have to take the city bus. And that's not very fun! And to drive, you have to go to Driver's Ed- which ontop of everything, is ALOT of work.
"Oh you're so lucky, the SAT is easy."
It's easy because it's meant to test a different type of skill. Doesn't mean we don't have finals or tests or tons of memorizing to do. No actually, it means we have to cultivate yet ANOTHER skill over the period of time. And the perfect score comes with a ton of work! It mens SAT classes over the summer, which in fact, many kids pay for themselves.
"Oh you're so lucky. I've seen the movies. High school is fun."
I have one word for you about high school. Bitches. High school is bitchy. One day she's your best friend. Then she makes out with your boyfriend- now she's a slut and you're a loser who doesnt have a best friend OR a boy friend. Or you get asked to homecoming, but you're mom doesnt let you go. Then suddenly, your the bitch for not going with like the nicest guy in the world.
"Oh you're so lucky, school must be easy."
School is NOT easy. Nowhere is it easy. School is hard work. English is hard work. It's papers and thousands of depressing books and serious hours spent hunched over a laptop. Maths is hard work. Every class becomes hours of studying, all to get into a college which still wants community service and extra curricular stuff from you.
And there are some VERY real issues that we're ALL dealing with it. Even if you're not going through it yourself, you have a best friend who is, and her pain breaks your heart. Even if you might not have to deal with it, you're surrounded by people who do. Divorce. Anorexia. Pre-marital sex. Drugs. Suicide. Rumors.
People need to stop putting America on a pedestal. Life isn't easy anywhere.
So if you, like me, go to high school here, you know perfectly well how untrue that it. We have to balance everything!
"Oh you're so lucky, you can drive."
Yes we are lucky. But its not just a privilege, it's also a priority. We don't have drivers! When I come home from school if I had to stay late, I have to take the city bus. And that's not very fun! And to drive, you have to go to Driver's Ed- which ontop of everything, is ALOT of work.
"Oh you're so lucky, the SAT is easy."
It's easy because it's meant to test a different type of skill. Doesn't mean we don't have finals or tests or tons of memorizing to do. No actually, it means we have to cultivate yet ANOTHER skill over the period of time. And the perfect score comes with a ton of work! It mens SAT classes over the summer, which in fact, many kids pay for themselves.
"Oh you're so lucky. I've seen the movies. High school is fun."
I have one word for you about high school. Bitches. High school is bitchy. One day she's your best friend. Then she makes out with your boyfriend- now she's a slut and you're a loser who doesnt have a best friend OR a boy friend. Or you get asked to homecoming, but you're mom doesnt let you go. Then suddenly, your the bitch for not going with like the nicest guy in the world.
"Oh you're so lucky, school must be easy."
School is NOT easy. Nowhere is it easy. School is hard work. English is hard work. It's papers and thousands of depressing books and serious hours spent hunched over a laptop. Maths is hard work. Every class becomes hours of studying, all to get into a college which still wants community service and extra curricular stuff from you.
And there are some VERY real issues that we're ALL dealing with it. Even if you're not going through it yourself, you have a best friend who is, and her pain breaks your heart. Even if you might not have to deal with it, you're surrounded by people who do. Divorce. Anorexia. Pre-marital sex. Drugs. Suicide. Rumors.
People need to stop putting America on a pedestal. Life isn't easy anywhere.
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