SOPHIE LI

THE FIRST TEN LIES THEY TELL YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL

1. We are here to help you.
2. You will have time to get to your class before the bell rings.
3. The dress code will be enforced.
4. No smoking is allowed on school grounds.
5. Our football team will win the championship this year.
6. We expect more of you here.
7. Guidance counselors are always available to listen.
8. Your schedule was created with you in mind.
9. Your locker combination is private.
10. These will be the years you look back on fondly.

– Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson

I love this quote from Speak (AMAZING book) because it makes me reflect about my own high school days.

• Perhaps I was naive, or lucky, or both, because I did feel like teachers were there to help me.
• The dress code was NOT enforced.
• YES people smoked (cigarettes and otherwise).
• The teachers expected a lot of us because we were in a science program (yes, I was a nerdy kid am still a nerdy adult). And I did a lot of studying. Like, seriously. I did more studying in high school than in university.
• It was a confusing time. But I… actually didn’t mind high school. I loved that I had the opportunity to explore my interests (drawing, sewing, music), and I made some friends that I still keep in touch with today.

Often, high school is portrayed as a pretty cruel place. My experience in high school was actually okay. Maybe I lucked out because I went to a good school and had a good group of friends. Our preoccupation was acing the linear algebra test and preparing for college. We could care less about boys or dances.

What do you think about the “ten lies they tell you in high school”? Do you agree or disagree, based on your experience?

Question for all y’all bookstagrammers out there: Do you keep your bookstagramming and personal instagram accounts separate? Being a newbie bookstagrammer, I find it hard to only post about book-related things because there are also other things to post about (such as DIY projects! Or pole dancing pictures!)

BUT I am afraid that if I post all these other things, it’ll annoy my bookstagrammer followers. AND I am afraid that my book-related posts aren’t interesting for my real life friends to read (because most of them are not super into books.) Therein lies the dilemma.