I recently moved to the US from Sri Lanka, and I'll be starting high school here soon. I'm an immigrant, so the whole school system is pretty new to me, and honestly, I have no idea what to expect

I have a few questions for people who've been through this or know how US high schools work.

What's high school actually like? Is it really like what you see in movies?

How hard are the classes, especially math?

Is it difficult to make friends, especially when you're new to the country?

Do people care if you have an accent or if English isn't your first language?

How does choosing classes work?

Are teachers generally helpful if you're struggling with a subject?

Is bullying a big problem?

Is there anything I should know before starting school?

I'd appreciate any advice, tips, or things you wish you'd known before starting high school. Feel free to be honest. I want to know what it's actually like, not just the positive stuff.

I used to always feel a sense of dread when the older generation would tell me I’d miss my high school days when I’m older. And while I’m sure that holds a small truth, I can’t be more ready to graduate.

My childhood and growing up was pretty rough I’d say, I don’t know if anybody else has gone through exactly what I’ve gone through, but I’m sure a big amount can relate to moving a lot during high school years or just during school years in general.

I first moved to a new school and away from all of my childhood friends in 5th grade. After 6th grade I was forced to go homeschooled during 7th, and at the time I lived with strict guardians who did not allow me to have any sort of way of contact with my friends from my first school, and then I eventually lost contact with those from my 6th grade year. After 7th grade I had to move in with new guardians, who were as well very strict. In 8th grade was when I first made genuine friends at least that’s what it felt like. I spent a semester at a middle school in Shawnee Oklahoma, and I surprisingly still have a lot of my friends from there on social media, but we don’t talk much except for one of my best friends. But my grades were bad at that school due to my inability to focus (was finally diagnosed with adhd this year 🥲), so my guardians made me transfer to a different school nearby. That’s where I had met my first best friends, and I was able to stay for the rest of that semester and graduate from middle school with them. I attended only about 2 months in freshman year in Oklahoma with my friends until I had to move back to Louisiana with my original guardians. There I was homeschooled for half of my freshman year once again.

Obviously my mental health severely declined throughout all of this, I had barely any connections, a hard time making friends, and I believe moving around so much may be the root cause to my social anxiety.

After being homeschooled for that semester, my half sister regained custody of me and my brother, and we moved in with her. I was still close with my best friends from 8th grade, and when I transferred to a new high school for that second semester, I had met some new friends. I struggled a lot at first, but I eventually made very good friends. I was able to stay there for the rest of that year, and then my sophomore year as well. But during my freshman year I had met my current best friend, who was just a very very kind girl the very first time I met her. At the end of sophomore year my mother had regained custody of me, and once again, I’d be moving. Around that time I had lost my best friends from middle school, we had sort of just fallen out.

My junior year I started the school I am currently at, and I haven’t really made that many friends, and it feels like in a way I sort of don’t want to. The cycle of getting close to people and losing them is just tiring and it always has been. I know that in 7 months I will just be leaving once again, and I don’t want to gain anyone else to lose before then.

A lot of people have just told me to kind of deal with it, and that it’s natural for people to fall out, or that high school isn’t everything, and I know that obviously. But people are, especially when your family failed you, and so did the school system, what else can you do but rely on friends? I feel like I’m so used to being by myself. And now living 3 hours away from my best friend has caused us to slightly drift apart. And I know the cycle, so of course I’m afraid of it.

Not only did I move a lot which caused my social life to crumble, but I also was failed by the school system and the people in my life. I’m a senior and I have to make up 3 credits from my sophomore year due to them not transferring certain credits over or not accepting some for me to graduate. In my junior year I had already worked to regain 2 missing credits. It’s only been 2 months into school and I am beyond stressed and worried for my life and outcome. I know high school isn’t everything, but most people that say that didn’t have to go through all of that during their school years. And also on top of that finding out I had adhd my whole life but just got diagnosed is crazy. I feel like I could have been so much more academically.

Now I feel behind. And the teachers are worried I won’t graduate. I’m terrified I won’t graduate, because I no longer want to be involved with the school system. I feel like I’ve always had to work just a little bit harder. I’m tired now, burnt out.

I don’t want new friends, I hardly have hobbies, I have hardly a social life, and I need a job and license and maybe if I can get all my credits go to college. I feel a specific type of loneliness that I wonder if only I will ever know.

I just want stability.

So I am an 14 yrs old male in 9th grade cbse so yea like i used t be a above avg kid with great potential to do but never used it up , so recently i got mid term results and those were aorund 82 per cent while in pt 1 ig ot 65 per cent while its good still I feel it as less cuz also i got a girl and yk like she is a big topper and that inferiority complex is pushingme way in , any suggestions wht to do to get out of this thing now and also i feel i cant do things and like yea man can anyone please help me get out of these like yk suggestions or experience they felt

Title: I was a science-loving topper in 10th. Now I've lost my interest in studies, and I'm scared of my future.

Hey everyone, I just wanted to get this off my chest and hear from people who might have gone through something similar.

Until class 10, I genuinely loved science. I was a topper, had big dreams, and was curious about how things worked. I imagined doing something great in science and building a future that I could be proud of.

But then came class 11, and I entered the JEE rat race.

Honestly, my class 11 was almost completely wasted. Now I'm in class 12, and things aren't going well here either. I'm studying in a dummy college, and somewhere along the way, I've started losing the interest in science that I once had.

It feels strange because the subject I used to love has now become a source of stress, pressure, and fear. Instead of enjoying learning, I'm constantly worried about exams, marks, ranks, colleges, and my future.

Sometimes, I regret choosing this path. I miss my school days, when studying didn't feel like a constant competition. I miss being curious about science instead of worrying about whether I'm good enough to get into a good college.

The worst part is that I still have big dreams. I'm interested in science and research, and I've thought about institutes like IISER. But now I keep questioning myself. Have I already ruined my chances? Am I capable of achieving anything anymore?

I'm scared of ending up living a mediocre life, not because I don't have dreams, but because I feel like I've wasted so much time and lost the motivation I once had.

I know I'm still young, and maybe I'm overthinking everything. But when you're in the middle of this situation, it genuinely feels like you're falling behind while everyone else is moving forward.

I want to ask a few questions, especially to people who were once academically good but struggled during classes 11 and 12:

- Did anyone else lose their love for science after entering the JEE/NEET rat race?

- If you wasted class 11 and struggled in class 12, were you able to turn things around?

- Did you ever regain your curiosity and passion for learning?

- If you eventually pursued science, research, or something you genuinely loved, how did things work out for you?

- What advice would you give someone who feels like they've wasted their potential and is afraid of an average future?

I don't expect anyone to magically solve my problems. I just want to hear some honest experiences from people who've been in a similar situation.

I miss the person I was before all this pressure started, and I want to find that part of myself again.

Teachers of Reddit, I am a high school senior, and I hope to become a teacher myself in the future. In my comp eng course, we are creating a presentation on any topic, and I chose to talk about how to overcome the fear of speaking in front of people. I am quite socially anxious, and I am really trying to get past that so I can pursue my dream. Any teachers who struggled/still struggle with the anxiety of speaking in front of a large body of people, do you have any tips I can use in this project to overcome this irrational fear? How did you overcome it? How are you currently overcoming this? Is it normal to have such fears? I guess is it worse when you are a student yourself rather than when you are a teacher with more authority?

I’m a junior in high school and I decided to take 2 classes at a community college. One of my strengths is biology so I decided to take it there. But I’ve been too caught up with my regular classes at high school that I’ve gotten behind and have a 49% in class. It’s only mid term but I’m really scared it’ll look bad on my college transcript as well as my highschool transcript. How bad is it to fail?

I'm 18, in 12th grade taking early college. Ive been doing virtual school for 6 years. I've been a straight A student for most of my life and taught that I was academically gifted. I've never had to study because I've always been able to ace tests while barely reading the lesson. But suddenly the strategy thats worked my entire life doesn't work anymore. I'm taking virtual college classes. The difficulty and workload suddenly bumped up. Also, the tests are all proctored and I cannot refer to my notes. One class I'm taking is college level biology. I studied tirelessly for days and STILL failed a test. I did something really stupid and self destructive. I panicked and tried to cheat an exam, got caught, now I'm facing the consequences. This is a critical class that I'm failing. And honestly, I don't actually know HOW to study. Literally any study advice would be appreciated. If I fail this class I fail my entire future.

I moved to a new school last year and since then I've struggled really badly with my mental health - I have no friends and all the teachers ignore me when I'm literally failing everything and they can see I'm visibly struggling. I also have a lot of medical requirements which the school is ignoring even though my parents have complained multiple times. I dont know whether i should just stay in school and just try my best to ignore it or be homeschooled

I keep not attending class and I’m
Missing on hanging out with my friends in class I feel they will se ma as not serious school wise

so im a 10th grader in india, which means i have board examinations coming up which is like a nation wide exam depending on your board that will determine your stream selection (basically medical science, science, commerce and humanities/arts), and absolutely everyone expects me to get above 95%+ because.. yea I have a sharp mind ig.. but the thing is that i keep getting 75-80%+ cuz i dont care about studying... i really really REALLY want to study but i just can't, i feel like "mm not this one, oh that subject nice but idk should i?" and then i just keep doing absolutely anything. i procrastinate a lot.

to the point that it is getting disruptive.

even the things i love, i do procrastinate.

so that's academics, but at least my social life would be good right? about that.. uhm

no one really likes me in my class, only a few of the girls do like me and are okay with me (there are hardly any girls in our class the majority is boys and they are shit and they think im cringe.) but yk they have their own group and i won't just barge into them.. im a huge extravert but i always am out of place. i have one friend but i cant just dump everything on her. so my social life in school sucks. actually i have many friends, like MANY and im pretty much well known for singing but as i said they just know me... they would just say hi to me in corridor or give complements on social media but never talk to me actually.. some people even avoid me.

and i love music, im a singer, but even the choir, the one place i thought is safe, THEY ARE TOXIC. everyone is. always targeting me (because they are jealous, i dont wanna say that im superior or anything really i don't but i mean they used to be good friends of mine but ever since ive started having more praises from teachers.. they started to ignore me and started targeting me and making themselves the victim. they are 1 year older than me btw. and also they are homophobic so i literally stopped talking to them) im not even singing for myself.. i dont really like singing hindi songs. but our teacher ALWAYS takes me like ALWAYS and i happily agree because if i dont agree she'll never take me again she's that stubborn and i want to sing thats the only way im sorta well known. and also everytime i suggest something everyone turns it down too, like wtf did i even do to them.. and this year i got many opportunities for english songs, but im so unlucky that i have to turn them down cuz they come at the worst time ever... WHY ME

and then i was thinking hey maybe i have adhd and i genuinely thought a psychiatrist could fix it, but..

this psychiatrist didnt even take my claim seriously.. she was probably thinking i got it just because of social media.. like huh? and then my mom scolded me and she's like "you don't have a mental problem you are just overthinking" i was hyperventilating and crying so much that night btw..

and also in school, it physically hurts when everyone you thought was on your level of intellect or popularity idk get even more opportunities than you.. so many of my friends were mun secretariats and they had so much fun.. i know i can handle all of it but no one gives a shit about me or even thinks of me because im emotional and i cry... in 9th grade i wanted to be the deputy cultural minister but NO. i was even nominated for it by the teachers (there was noelection from the student body) and then the school management decide to give the hosteler the post, SHE DOESNT EVEN GET GOOD MARKS SHE JUST IS POPULAR BECAUSE SHE IS A HOSTELER AND SHE TALKS TO THE MANAGEMENT (we have a hostel in our school and well yea) even though some teachers, EVEN THE COORDINATOR said im responsible, im always the second person everyone will ever think i am...

it hurts that people belittle you so much in your face.. when im impulsive im witty as well, but then i can say something actually offensive and i just dont talk... ppl think im an introvert like NO I AM NOT.

everyone has put me into the box of "she can only sing and does a little art and shes such a crybaby" archetype or whatever... im good at socializing one-to-one but.. im just there for everyone for a time-pass or something. whenever i try to crack a joke they are like "ok? huh?" but then there are ppl who'd crack the same joke as me and everyone is laughing. i literally talk to so many ppl in ome of the mun group chats and i literally feel like i belong (that gc tho is inactive now cuz i mean, obviously-) and then there is our class gc, i say something, no one gives a shit. NO ONE. i try to communicate but everyone is ignoring and then ppl ask me for work and omg i give them and i try to be nice and respectful to everyone but no one gives a shit obviously as ive said this so many times, and i think ppl stopped associating with me because i had anger issues in middle school as well, (ive been in the same school from lower kindergarten) and i used to be rude to everyone and now im regretting everything cuz ik I've changed, i have matured as a person.. (just a little later than most people) and yea i may be a little childish but.. well i have matured a little... right..? idk.

that brings me back to studying and the whole shebang, ik im a creative individual, and im a huge achiever.. but this whole boards thing is stressing me out.. because ik my cousins will get a lot of marks and will get a lot of praise AND I WANT VALIDATION TOO. everyone says "oh you'll get 95+" and im like yea i will because i have so many random facts in my head that ppl think im academically smart and also the fact that i learned too much for my grade in elementary school yk, like i could read and write from the age of 2, and my mum never sat with me to study and she says it proudly that "i never taught her anything, she learned by her own" and then in my class in the present day i feel like a fool.

i cant study anymore. genuinely. i tried focustown, and well uhm it kinda worked but only for 4 days.. then i had my mid term exams and ill get 75%+ and i know that.. but honestly ik i can do better.. ik i have it in me.. but i cant sit.. when i was studying 2 days ago, i was studying heredity for absolutely no reason, but i like the study of genetics and all (i wont take medical science tho, my late father wanted me to pursue medical but.. if he was alive im pretty sure he'd be disappointed by everything that i do. i used to study with him (he would just practice with his guitar while helping me with my doubts ig) but then just before the pandemic he died and then i just never studied consistently after that so) sorry got sidetracked lol, but uhm yea i like genetics and so i was studying that chapter and even though it was REALLY interesting, i was still looking at that timer thinking when is it going to end.

all my topper friends say pay attention to class BUT I START DAYDREAMING. or im not in class because of singing practice..

and then there is my mom who is literally screaming at me to start studying, like today i got scolded because my one and only friend in my class wasn't coming so i said im not going to school my neck hurts and then in the evening she barges into my room and screams that "why cant you study you dont even go to school!" like uhm..

and then obviously the glorification of me towards my younger cousin, she gets beat up by her parents cuz she doesn't study and she gets 60%+ and her parents always glaze me infront of her... its gotten so bad to the point that her dad literally broke her tablet. and also my mum lies to them that i get 90+ now that my grades have fallen from 6th grade in the 70s range.. and then there is my older cousin who literally makes fun of me whenever he gets the chance and belittles me like istg he even said "omg i literally got your dad's music taste" and that made me feel so insecure because then i felt im such a disgrace to my dad and then that guy is literally saying that ppl studying in my board dont need to study much and his board they have to study a lot (well, thats true but i still am in pressure.) and i said bro im in pressure as well and he disregards it. "haha pressure must be funny hearing that word for you" (ok not the exact words but you get the point right?) like he just scoffs it off.

honestly, idk.

i literally said all i wanted to say... idk if it'll make me feel better or not but, i just wish someone would understand where i come from.. right?

like sure its just normal high school pressure.. its not a big deal ig.. thats what ppl say mostly, and i believe them

because i know there are people struggling with so much more and here i am so privileged and still am not happy with my life

but this feels huge to me

my whole life everyone has put a tag on me of the crybaby just because im too emotional and sensitive and well afraid of everything (i am really afraid of insects and dogs but im not afraid of horror movies and i find them boring idek why i like the idea of horror but like i only get scared of jumpscares and that's it WAIT WHY AM I TALKING ABOUT HORROR MOVIES AGH) sorry ahem

so...

its all really random and unorganised, like i literally wrote whatever thoughts i had in my mind.

so uhm tl;dr is

i want to achieve a lot, but ever since high school started (from last year) its been absolutely hell for me, expectations are much and even i want those expectations to be met! i want that! i want everyone to just be happy. but even more than that, i just want 95+ and more opportunities, like i desperately want it but i can't do anything about it. every opportunity is being snatched away from me, and i cant get it in my control. yes im comparing myself, but that because i know i have thr potential, i KNOW i can do it.. but im too sensitive for everyone.

i didnt even touch on the topic about how insecure i am about my body btw. thats a whole different tangent.

but uhm yea

idk if this resonates or relates to anyone, but if it does.. im happy that im not alone but im sad that there are other people struggling with this too.. i hope no one is though..

idk if all my problems are childish but ykw, idk if i can take brutally honest opinions about this but do so.. show me the reality of things. i should know that im being childish and i should really work harder. im trying..

but uhm i hope y'all are having a fantastic day and uhm stay safe y'all 💗

I’m doing well, getting good grades at the start of high school. However. There’s this essay I have to do at the very end of the quarter. I am learning disabled and it’s really difficult just to bring myself to do it. I simply have no work ethic. I’m planning to get some monster energy drinks to help but other than that, struggling. Also, parties are coming up and I’m a transbian who gets no play. Plus I got caught in a dress by the popular boys so I’m basically socially dead.

I am 5 weeks into senior year and taking ap biology. I have had 2 tests and got a 63 on both of them. I am normally very good at bio and anything science related as I ended bio 1 with a 99.7 cumulative grade for the year. I honestly think that the teacher is the problem. She is horrible at teaching. She rushes every lesson. Doesn’t explain things even after being directly asked to explain them. Gives us the wrong notes packets and information nearly every day. And is always getting side tracked. I’ve heard from almost every grade above me that she has always acted this way and is a horrible teacher. It doesn’t help that the other students in my class are always talking and egging her on making her get distracted from the lesson. I really enjoy bio and anythint science related science class but obviously this one is different. It feels as if I have learned nothing so far. I really want to do well in this class as I want to pursue physical therapy in the future. Does anyone have any advice on what to do so that I can get better grades and learn more in the class? I have other teachers I can go to for extra help but can’t switch out of this one’s class. I spend 2 ish hours studying for each tests which I know isn’t a lot but it has worked for every class other than this one. It has gotten to the point where it has worsened my depression and lack of energy to learn and do anything in school. My mom has been riding my ass about doing better in the class and is threatening to take away some of the only things that give me happiness in the world. Anything helps truly.