Popular, Greek, Bully Or Just There.... What were you in High School?

#1 02-17-2002, 03:07 PM

Recently 20/20 did this good report on being the popular kids, bullies etc in HS. I was just wondering what everyone thinks they were and what was your life like then. Do you have regrets of things you might have done to ppl?

Ill be honest in 7th I was a geek. I didnt have the look going on or anything, I was just a straight A student with a bunch of C and D ones. Needless to say 7th was hell. One i got into HS though I would say I was in between pop and just being there. I went to a small arts high school so everyone pretty much knew everyone.

OK I edited (and thanks to whomever deleted the twin post

), and want to ask this. The guy who did the study on popularity said three things make someone popular...1) Money, 2) Looks 3) Sports (4 was humor). They asked the kids, ages 10-16, about this and the kids said this wasnt right, they thought it was 1) Personality 2) Looks 3) Activties. Like the guy I think money or what your parents have is like number one when it comes to someone being pop. The kids didnt think this at all. What would you say?

KillarneyRose · #2 02-17-2002, 03:25 PM

I was painfully shy up until high school and I think a lot of people took that as being stuck up. I was not really a "people person", instead I liked being by myself curled up with a book or on the tennis courts or running.

By ninth grade though, I came out of my shell. I'm not sure exactly what did it; I had lost my baby fat the summer before and I made the varsity tennis team so I had a circle of friends there. Also, I joined some of the clubs my school had to offer.

I actually shouldn't have fit in because I was from a middle class family who happened to live in an area that fed into a REALLY high income area high school. But the fact that everyone knew me as a really good tennis player helped me to stand out with the country club kids. And the part of town I lived in helped give me credibility with the other not-as-materially-blessed students. So, all my bases were covered.

I think I was well liked because I really tried to get along with everyone.

Oh, and I got voted "Best Figure" in my graduating class! lol I guess everyone has to be famous for SOMETHING!

IowaHawkeye · #3 02-17-2002, 03:40 PM

ok, I'll admit it - i was voted "most school spirit" in high school - i was involved in everything, volleyball, softball, basketball, student government president, national honor society - lol i did it all and i was very enthusiastic about it. b/c i was involved in so much and had to interact with so many differnt groups, i was pretty popular in high school - but i went to an all-girls catholic high school - so basically it was one big sorority i have fond memories of high school - unlike some, i loved it - but college is still way better!

ADPiSweety · #4 02-17-2002, 03:59 PM

In high school I was voted "most outgoing" and "best smile" lol. Like Iowahawkeye, I was involved in soo many things. I did student council and junior and senior class cabinet~ Homecoming, Prom, other dances, football games, I was always there. Spirit days you would always see me wearing our colors and I'm quite loud too. I showed it. I loved being involved and meeting soo many other students at my high school. I have loads of memories that I will never forget of high school. I do have to admit though college is much better and even now I'm still very outgoing and so involved in my chapter! =)

ZTAngel · #5 02-17-2002, 04:13 PM

I definitely wasn't the most popular girl at my high school but I hung out with many of the football players and cheerleaders and the "popular crowd". I was pretty involved at my school. I held a lot of officer positions in clubs so I was well-known. I guess that made me popular but I never really thought of myself in that way.

Sisterplum · #6 02-17-2002, 04:24 PM

I guess I was pretty popular in high school. I was captain of my cheerleading squad in grade 12, but I don't think that had any basis on popularity at my school. Unlike what I *think* is the norm at US high schools (aka athletes are the popular group) the my cheerleading team wasn't full of popular girls.
I think the reason for my popularity was that I'm just an outgoing, happy kinda person. I didn't stay to one group of people, I had friends in all the "groups"....I was in honors classes, dated football players, had friends who were quiet and shy, etc.
I'm still the same way!

Outgoing....but I don't know very many people at my new school yet...I'm getting there!

damasa · #7 02-17-2002, 04:59 PM

Looking back, I guess I was fairly popular, although I didn't hang out with very many people, I was close to my small group of friends.
I did the whole sports thing, started freshman year playing football, basketball and running track. Sophmore year i made varsity football and track, so i stuck to those. So a lot of people in school knew me because of that (our hs was totally geared around sports) probably the only reason that I was voted on homecoming court senior year! lol
All in all, I had fun in highschool, was a rowdy little guy and had a great time, but, college is still key.

blaine

justamom · #8 02-17-2002, 05:15 PM

I was a part of the popular wheel, but not the hub. Most people associated the arts with me though I did cheer and held offices in STUCO. They also thoght I was very sweet, kind and pretty. I did NOT makeout, so sadly,I missed all the hayrides!

James · #9 02-17-2002, 05:16 PM

Oh Highschool . . . do you know how much time in therapy I have spent forgetting those 10 years ? lol

To understand High school I have to drift back to Junior high. I move dEast from California and promptly ate most of the state: I got fat. Fat is not the place you want to be in 7th and 8th. Damn, kids are cruel . . . its scarring to be heavy in junior high . . . Don't let it happen to your children . . .

I was also "bright" by those pesky standardized tests they give, so bright, glasses, AND fat is a very bad place to be.

Over 8th Grade summer I learned the "girly diet" which is basically starvation and mass cardio. I went from running a block to 7 miles a day in boots, a tribute to Richard Simmons.

So now 9th grade, not fat, but the self image of a little fat boy . . .

Well not to go into too much detail until this appears like some highschool confesion book.

I went on to learn vital things like keg parties are fun, weight lifting gets you more ladies, and even Advanced place stuff is really easy. So as I learned these things my social currency rose.

By the time I finished High School I was voted Senior Class "Best Body" out of 450 graduting seniors and went to 6 proms as well as held silly offices in silly clubs. And probably everyone knew me or of me.

I still wouldn't classify myself as popular though, the school was too big and diverse. But I would say I probbaly ran through the whole social strata at one point or another.

College is just a seperate experience.

Betarulz! · #10 02-17-2002, 05:22 PM

I've always been known as the smart kid, but not like the genius or the brilliant mind. I guess I do a pretty good job of blending in, and since I project a fairly humble image most of the time. I always kinda felt that I functioned in a degree of anonymity.

As HS went on I got to knwo more of the "popular" people, and I always think that my HS was pretty unique in the fact that while there were cliques it wasn't as if you couldn't talk to anyone outside of your clique. The other thing is how self selecting honors courses puts you in class with the same 30-40 people might not be so bad but I disliked a vast majority of them...

As someone who came from a very affluent school I don't think money was that big of factor. I would think that style was really important, followed by looks, and then personality.

KSigkid · #11 02-17-2002, 05:34 PM

Hmmm....high school....

Well - I played sports (four years baseball, played a couple other sports scattered throughout). I had played sports with most of the guys all my life, and had been friends with many of them since I was a little kid, so I was cool with every sort of group in school - whether it be the athletes or the kids who weren't quite as popular.

I didn't get into the partying part too much until junior year - I was way too shy before then, and was even kinda shy after then. Pretty bright kid, did really well in class and on those stupid standardized tests. I was known as that "nice smart kid who's fun to hang out with." I guess I was pretty popular - I was by no means a prom king or anything, but I was well-liked by most people, for the simple reason that I didn't make enemies.

Also, money wasn't that big of a factor. I came from a very middle class town, and actually some of the wealthier kids I went to school with ended up being some of the least popular.

Collin

Peaches-n-Cream · #12 02-17-2002, 06:02 PM

In grammar school, I was the smart kid with red hair, glasses, freckles, and a tall, skinny body which made me a nerd and the object of abuse. I always was beaten up by the school and neighborhood bullies. It got so bad that my mother had to contact the police. This was the 1980's and you didn't do that then. The bullying stopped, and I was alone. I had one friend. I transferred schools in seventh grade, and at least the violence had stopped, but I was terribly shy. (Actually, when I see those commercials for Social Anxiety Disorder, I wish that I had Paxil as a child. It might have helped!) Anyway, I was afraid to talk to anyone and was very insecure and hung out in the library. I did make a friend and slowly a few friends. I wound up invited to parties and joined clubs. Things gradually improved. The summer before tenth grade I got contact lenses. I couldn't believe how things changed for me. I looked good and made a lot of friends because I looked good. I became more popular and joined all of the clubs and teams and felt better about myself. I was not the most popular girl, but I was nice so people liked me. It all worked out in the end.

Bridget3D · #13 02-17-2002, 06:15 PM

I was a floater. That was the worse, to me. I floated between the "preps", "weirdos", "nerds", "jocks", and "ethnics". I was known as smart by some, dumb by others; cool by some, dorks by others; very sane and level headed by some, "the one most likely to start another school shooting" by others

. How confusing! But, I was known by everybody as the class clown with the big "W".

I'm still a floater in college.

Bridget3D · #14 02-17-2002, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cream
In grammar school, I was the smart kid with red hair, glasses, freckles, and a tall, skinny body which made me a nerd and the object of abuse. I always was beaten up by the school and neighborhood bullies. It got so bad that my mother had to contact the police. This was the 1980's and you didn't do that then. The bullying stopped, and I was alone. I had one friend.

I feel you girl. High school may have not been that bad. But, my elementary and middle school years were pure HELL.

If I have kids, they will not be entering a public (or even a private) school. If I can help it. There's to much shit going on there and the authorities does not give a damn about some kids.

33girl · #15 02-17-2002, 06:49 PM

I was a geek, till I got to senior year and didn't give a shit, but too little too late. Later on I dated a guy I had gone to school w/ and he asked me why I always looked so mean, and I told him I wasn't mean, I was terrified!

When I see where the "popular" people from my class are, though....4 kids, working in a dead end job and excitement is a school board battle or sales at Wal-Mart...I say "thank you God in the sky above." Oh, and it was quite fun going back to my class reunion all glammed out and having most of the dudes there drool all over me while the girls acted like total snobs...it was basically like Romy and Michelle's HS Reunion.