My Worst First Day of School: New School Blues

The first day of school can either be rough or easy. Excitement of seeing old friends and showing off new shoes is often too much for some students to bear. Even though the first day causes moments of apprehension, I think the first day at a new school is a completely different experience. Imagine walking into the unknown, holding on to your mother's hand for dear life. Sitting in one of the uncomfortable chairs and ignored while the adults discussed your brief education career. The whole time, one thought haunts you and repeats in your childlike mind: will I make any friends?

On the first day of the last six weeks of my sixth grade year, my family moved to Mesquite, Texas. I knew no one in this neck of the woods and up until this point, I didn't know the suburb even existed. I attended my last school for almost three years and had a lot of friends. I wasn't exactly outgoing when it came to developing new relationships and the few days I spent moving hadn't prepared me for the culture shock. The surrounding neighborhood with its landscaped yards and matching rooftops were glamorous and intimidating at the same time. Therefore, when my mother kissed me on the forehead, dread gripped my chest. She reminded me where she would pick me up after school and wished me a good day.

The registrar led me down an immaculate hallway, the clicking of her pumps bouncing off the decorated walls. I noticed how much different this school was then the one I left in the lower middle class neighborhood I moved from. That school building was constantly patched in various places and there were more temporary classrooms then permanent. The brightly lit room I stepped into had a whiteboard instead of a chalkboard and the desks cooked brand new. All eyes were on me as I stood at the front of the room and introduced to the class. The teacher struggled to say my first name and I saw a few of the kids snicker when I corrected her. I don't like to use my first name because of this moment. I do appreciate my parents' ingenuity of the creation of my given name; however, it is not user friendly. I chanced brief glimpses around the room at the other children. Kids can smell fear. Some boldly stared at me, inspecting my hair and clothes. Others ignored my presence completely. I thought it would be a lonely six weeks.

I sat down at an empty desk and tried not to let my apprehension show. The teacher continued with her lesson, every once in a while commenting that she would catch me up later. After what seemed like eons, I sweet faced girl tapped me on the arm to share her book with me. She turned out to be a very good friend even through junior high school.

Everything seemed so different than what I was used to. For the first time in my life I had separate teachers for reading and math. We watched television in class about dancing vegetables and took part other fun, educational experiments such becoming a radio station for the day. By the end of the six weeks, I realized how much more I had learned and was thankful my parents moved so I may have a chance at a better education.