Nihira Ram<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The beginning of high school is the most exciting, yet scary, year of your life. It is so much fun to race down the halls looking for classes and chatting with\u00a0 friends. But what if you have no friends? What if you don\u2019t know anyone and the things that were supposed to be fun\u00a0 become the most horrifying experiences of your life? This is the kind of life the new kid in town gets, and I\u2019m a prime example. I am from India (yes, I know how cool that is), and I don\u2019t know anyone here. For a new student, being included in groups of \u00a0kids from other schools\u00a0 is\u00a0 tough. We need more things to talk about other than a new place and new life. It\u2019s especially tough for kids who are not all that sociable (like me). A conversation usually goes like this: \u201cHi! I’m in your homeroom!\u201d \u00a0They\u2019ll reply, \u201cOh, yeah\u2026So what do you have next?\u201d We exchange classes. There is silence. That\u2019s \u00a0the end of our conversation. I don\u2019t work up the courage to speak to him or her again.<\/p>\n
Another barrier for me is the way that Indians are perceived here. The way Indians are portrayed in the media is bizarre\u2014what is up with that fake accent? Believe me, none of us really have that accent. I’m not from Narnia. I have a lot in common with everyone here. I eat the same burgers and pizzas. I listen to the same music. Yes, I occasionally play Taylor Swift. I rock with Three Days Grace, go insane with Greenday, groove to Avril Lavigne, and scream with Evanescence. I even see the same movies. I saw Kung Fu Panda, Freedom Writers, The Little Mermaid <\/em>(hey, you\u2019re never too old for a Disney movie). \u00a0I also saw my favorite: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2<\/em>. I, too, am sad that Harry Potter is over. I, too, hate Rebecca Black. I, too, love Friends<\/em> and hate Twilight<\/em>.<\/p>\n My mother tells me that I should be patient and that it will take time to make friends. But I can\u2019t be patient! Maybe I am not very sociable, but if you get to know me, I\u2019m chatty and friendly. It doesn\u2019t take much time for an outgoing new student to make friends, but kids who are quieter and of the \u201cbooks-are-my-friends\u201d type have a harder time at the beginning. I\u2019m in the latter group of students, and I\u2019m not sure that we are the most popular of friends. But I know we make at least a few very close friends\u2014and if you give us a chance, you\u2019ll find we\u2019re not boring at all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nihira Ram The beginning of high school is the most exciting, yet scary, year of your life. It is so much fun to race down the halls looking for classes and chatting with\u00a0 friends. But what if you have … Continue reading