First Time Public School Attendance, Need Info.

Anyone who can help, please!!
So next school year I'm going to a public school, and this is my first time since third grade going to public school. I'm actually pretty nervous since I'm going from a school with 150 people in all of my current high school to one with 3,392 people. The school seems ok but i'm so nervous. Any hints for surviving a public school experience when you haven't gone to one in years??? Also, my bell schedule is so long it seems. Currently at my private school, I go to school from 8:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.Next years it is:

Period 1: 7:40 A.M.-8:33 A.M.
Period 2: 8:40 A.M.-9:38 A.M.
Period 3: 9:44 A.M.-10:37 A.M.
Period 4: 10:43 A.M.-11:36 A.M.
Lunch: 11:36 A.M.-12:21 P.M.
Period 5: 12:28 P.M.-1:21 P.M.
Period 6: 1:27 P.M.-2:20 P.M.
Period 7: 2:26 P.M.-3:19 P.M.
Period 8: 3:25 P.M.-4:18 P.M.

7:40 A.M. - 4:18 P.M.!?!?!?!? Anyone else's as long as my new one? Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Don't be a bitch.

At least you get 7 min breaks...

Thats rough

Public schools are nothing to worry about, I've gotten through 13 years of them, and I wouldn't have it any other way. That schedule, on the other hand, sucks. Who decided it was a good idea to keep kids in school for 8 1/2 hours? We've got six, fifty minute classes a day at my school.

[Oscar]

Wear high water slacks with black socks and white button shirt with long sleeves that are not long enough and tuck the shirt in. Also don't forget the big glasses with black rim. [:)]

[jayman]

i have advice..
you will almost instantly realize that you are smarter than the rest of the kids at the new school.. what ever you do keep it to yourself.. [approve]

-Stay away from the druggies and such.
-Completely ignore severe degradements from the popular bitc--bunch; they will stop, believe it or not.
-Don't let anyone get in your way of success.
-Hang out with the right people.
-Act mature.
-Make sure you still keep somewhat organized.
-Remember your locker number and combination (assuming there are lockers).
-Don't look like a teachers pet, but don't act like a complete rebel.
-Stay away from going emo in a public school.
-Take BAND!

That's all I can think of right now.

wow, that sucks. we go from 7:25 - 2:25,
i cant believe you go that long.
although how long in the year do you go?

My school goes from 7:30 - 2:10..
Its alrgiht I guess, but yours is rediculous.

[Oscar]

I go from 10-11:15 Monday - Thursday and 9-12 on Saturday [approve]

My schedule is 8:45 to 3:30.

Your school sucks!

Anyway tips:

-If you're gay, don't tell anybody so help you god.
-Popular people will only make fun of you if you do something to cause it.
-Go in with confidence, if you go in as a sap you'll get made fun of.
-Be mature as possible, while not being stuck up.
-If you're smarter than others and you know it, don't rub it in their face.
-Use common sense.
-Keep clean.
-NEVER USE THE WASHROOMS.
-Never eat cafeteria food unless you have to. Ew.
-Check your seat before you sit down.
-Dress in Holister. Everyone will think you're cool even if you're not, and even if you HATE Holister everyone will think you're great.
-Don't hang out with people that nobody else likes. There's usually a reason.

So yeah. Basically, just use common sense. It's usually easier than a private school because you don't know everybody personally, and 90 percent of the people in the school couldn't care if you exist. That sounds like a bad thing, but it's not. Because rumours can only go so far, and if one person knows something, that doesn't mean the whole school does.

Just have fun.

My advice would be to ignore what everyone's saying here and just do what you're gonna do, be yourself. High school won't be any fun if you just think about how not to get made fun of the whole time.

Originally posted by CalawayPark
[br
Anyway tips:

-If you're gay, don't tell anybody so help you god.

I do not agree. In the immortal words of Mark
"Be who you are, wear what you want, and learn to run really fast"

watch out for staph

Ouch, that's a long timetable!

I agree with most of what Calaway says. But there is one thing a couple of you have been saying.
See in England you only go to private school if your a bit well stupid. I'm not saying anything 'bout any of you, but yeah had to get that out.

I go to school from 8:45 till 3:30 aswell with 20 minutes of break and an hour of lunch and only have 5 periods, but they last an hour.

But SFOT, don't be worried about the timetable or anything else, it's not as bad as it seems. (cause another school has 12 periods!)

MRSA is not your friend.

Just be yourself and you should be fine. When I was in high school, everyone had to be like everyone else and I hated it. There were so many posers at my school it was ridiculous. Be yourself, study hard, and get involved in activities that you think you will like and public school will not be a problem.

That schedule you have is pretty long, but it's about right for a full high school load. Just wait until you get to college then you won't be going to school like that anymore. I have classes from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Mondays and Wednesdays.

ya, pretty much what everyone else said, i feel bad for you... my school is from 8:15-3:00 (2:00 on wednesday's) [:)]

o ya, smile as much as possible, no matter how pissed you are... people like other people who look happy all the time. and if someone doesnt like you for who you are, theyre a jerk and dont hang out with them. they probably want your money if youre rich or they want to make you a joke in front of others if youre not... real friends will like you for who you are [;)]

[Coasterkidmwm]

My high school ran from 7:40 to 2:55 and we had a 1.5 hour block scheduling. You don't know not paying attention in class until you've been in one of those unless you're in some of the ridiculously long college courses offered.

Anyways if you know the answers to questions in class keep your mouth shut and save the answers for when you're given a test. People hate the butthole that gets an A on everything but shuts up MUCH less than they hate the asshole who raises his hand every 5 seconds and has to chime in all goddamned day long.

DO NOT ASK THE TEACHER WHAT THE HOMEWORK FOR THE DAY IS IF NONE IS MENTIONED! I cannot even begin to remember how many times I would be SOOOOO ready to leave class after sitting through 85 minutes of a discussion of the vignette in "House on Mango Street" where the author describes that her mother's hair smells like bread to have some butthat go "Mrs. English Teacher, what is the homework?" and then Mrs. English Teacher would go "Oh yes dear I almost forgot read 9000000 pages and then write a 20 page paper that you can't get above a C minus on unless you agree with my feminist beliefs." It's a goddamned shame I went to a school in a yuppy upper middle class town because kids like that need a rhinoplasty via fist but nobody ever got into fights at my high school because they don't want to get sued.

And try not to play the egotistical prick (this card can accidentally be played by magically knowing everything the other kids don't) or play the "feel bad for me I just got here" cards.

[coolbeans326]

If you want to be cool, make sure you do drugs and drink and let everyone know that you do it... don't keep it secret. You'll have girls lining dow the block to suck your d!ck. No lie.

o i forgot one thing... dont act like the enerhizer bunny in the morning no matter how awake you are... mostly everyone is tired and they dont like being woken up by loud and crazy people

Don't assume because you might know something about metal that you are automatically going to be accepted by the "actual" cool kids who wear black t-shirts and smoke. Actually, this logic applies to any group that you may know something about their niche. You need to prove yourself. Be yourself and you will fit into a group immediately.

However, in the words of my 13 year-old daughter:

If you are shy on day 1 you will be classified shy for your HS life.
If you are dumb on day 1 you will be classified dumb for your HS life.
If you are preppie on day 1 you will be classified preppie for your HS life.
If you are stoned on day 1 you will be classified stoned for your HS life.

The lesson? Choose carefully what you portray on Day 1.

And oh yes, take band ... it is really not that bad -- not too mention the need to wash your hands after using the restroom. [approve]

[Coasterkidmwm]

Try to avoid the super deluxe extremeo talented band because most of those kids will have bizarre ego complexes you don't want to deal with.

im 8:00-2:14, yours is long :
just be yourself.. the right group of people will come to you.

Thanks to evryone for the great info. I'll know now how to make good impressions and know how to act around people for my first few days. Thanks again.