Now and Then coursework

I’m in Year 7, like any other place on your first few days I am afraid. I can feel peoples eyes digging deep into me, every time I pass someone older than me in the corridor I feel as if I am giving off the scent of weakness.

In this foreign environment where I have no clue how things are run how the elders interact with everyone else in the school, some of them don’t pay attention to me like I’m not worth their time, the others give me threatening looks. I feel uncertain of my near future. Everything from teachers to students to even the hallways, are gigantic and intimidating. I’m starting to think that the pristine, expensive uniforms are to compensate for the near run down building, when I look up at the ceiling there are literally pieces missing like someone has taken bites out of it.

I look to my side where I usually find my friends who I used to have fun with but they have been replaced with total strangers, people who I know nothing about and don’t really care for. Lunchtimes are chaotic, we are separated and put in our own smaller playground. It’s like we are sheep being herded into a small pen and because no-one knows each other that well, fights often break out, unfortunately I am involved in one or two and they got violent. I need to learn to control myself.

My new teachers voice, when raised is like nothing I have heard before. My eardrums are being blasted by his bellowing voice as I try to comprehend what he is saying. I’m also not prepared for the pips that signalled the end of this lesson, as the speakers burst with this sharp noise, I have to cover my ears. It was an instinct, I didn’t even realise I’d done it.

As each day passed by, I become less intimidated and began to grow familiar with my surroundings…

These days as a year 11 student at the school I feel very secure as an individual. This security allows me to be more confident in class and in the hallways. Now as I see the young boys in Year 7 I find them very irritating. Their high pitch loud voices are like when someone is scraping their fingernails on a blackboard. My annoyance grows each time they become my obstacles trying to walk down the hallway.

As I get off the bus and see the school my eyes don’t hurt as much as they use to, it’s now like a relaxing cool breeze over my face as I feel much less aggravated than I used to when I arrive. Also now familiar to me is the scent of belonging every time I enter the school, quite often that means an unpleasant smell, but familiar none the less! It has become second nature to recognise each other’s clothing just by their aroma, It’s strangely amazing how each one is different and distinctive.

Being in Year 11 has its privileges, I can now leave at lunchtime to get my own food, thus avoiding the horrible stench and taste that comes from the schools kitchen. I almost feel sorry for the younger kids being subjected to this bland low-budget food that is served. It’s also nice to get out just to avoid the lunch hall, it’s almost like feeding time at the zoo, with the loud monkeys throwing food and the larger starving elephants barging their way to the front of the queue as if they’d find something edible.

As my days at this place are coming to an end I have noticed I have matured, especially controlling my temper and not resulting to violence. All in all even though through the four years here I’ve had vastly different experiences they have all helped me in some way…I guess.