Three Reasons I'll Never Use Myspace Again

Myspace has become a fad for High Schoolers. A number of my friends tell me I should get a Myspace. But every time I refuse. I've gotten a Myspace twice and each time I’ve deleted it later on. The first time I deleted it and promised myself to never get one again. The second time I was lured into getting it again by one of my friends even though internally I knew it would be a mistake. I decided to make this post, so if I ever feel tempted to make a Myspace again I'll remind myself of these reasons NOT to get a Myspace.

1. It’s a superficial popularity contest. I remember being amazed at how many friends people had on their Myspaces when I first started. 2000 friends? That was an incredible number to me. However, soon after I realized that majority of those “friends” were people they didn't even know. They were just adding random people to boost their friend count. One of my friends had a rather coveted number, but she couldn't even fill up her top eight with legitimate close friends. Most of the teenagers on Myspace want to prove to everyone how popular they are and it is way to prove how popular they are. Shouldn't they be confident in themselves instead of letting a number prove it?

The people on Myspace are so obsessed with the number of comments and friends that they have that many of them beg for them. I remember reading so many bulletins that were begging people to comment their pictures or their general site. In return they promised to comment them back. I can't understand why it is so important. They are just numbers.

2. You can quickly become obsessed with it. "I check my Myspace twenty times a day." This was the answer I got when I asked one of my friends how often she went on her Myspace. At first I couldn't understand how she could waste so much time on it, but then I remembered I used to be the same way. I used to waste so many hours of my life checking my Myspace. But the worst part is that I let it control my emotions.

If I got new comments or friend request I felt special and happy. But if I didn't get any new comments or friend requests I would feel sad. I was letting a number control my happiness. It seems silly to me now, but then it was so important. And I'm not the only one who feels this way. Many people who use Myspace let it control their happiness, yet they continue to use it.

3. It can hurt friendships. Myspace has ended so many friendships. It's just so much easier to be a jerk when you don't have to say something to someone's face. One time I got into a fight with some ex-friends over the internet. All of us forwarded the arguments to people and posted some of the messages in bulletins. Thinking back I wonder how I could have been so petty. A fight should be done in person and shouldn't include outside people. It should be private and name calling should be excluded.

Another example of how friendships can be hurt through Myspace is your "top friends". I remember this girl telling me that her best friend "hated her", because she moved her down a few places on her top eight. Honestly, that is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

The bottom line: There are some positives about Myspace like staying touch with friends or family. However, I feel that the negative outweighs the positive. Do you think Myspace is worthwhile, or do you agree with me that it just isn't worth it?

Isabel Is No Longer a Writer For This Blog

I came to the conclusion that it would be best if I was the sole writer of Survive High School. I had been pondering the issue for awhile, but finally made the decision while I was in class today. We weren't doing much today, so I took out a piece of paper and began to write her a letter. I wasn't planning on sending her the letter, but felt it would be best to figure out my feelings before I confronted her. Writing has always been the best way for me to express my feelings. When I speak sometimes my words get taken wrong.

The two main issues in the letter were lack of time and passion. I completely understand that she doesn't have much time due to her hectic extracurriculars and demanding schoolwork. Her lack of passion for the project really hit home for me when she told me she'd type up a post she was late like it was an afterthought.

I had worried from the beginning that Isabel was being part of the blog, because she thought she was doing me a favor. It turned out to be true. There isn't anything wrong with not being passionate something. It is just her personal preference, so I wouldn't judge her for that. If Isabel really didn't want to post for me than she was being selfless. But it actually doesn't benefit me, her, or the readers.

It isn't fair to the readers, because they are spending their time reading posts that are halfheartedly written. It hurts her, because she is doing something she doesn't love. And it doesn't benefit me, because I want this site to thrive and I want her to do things only if she loves to. In the end her no longer contributing to the blog is for the best and most importantly the confrontation didn't hurt our friendship.

I know you are curious about what will be changing about the site, so here it is:

• I am going to be the only writer/owner of the blog and I will not be finding a replacement for Jessie.
• The posting frequency will change to once every two days. I'm doing this, so my posts won't be rushed and will be better quality.
• I need to come up with a new tagline, so any ideas will be beneficial. Before it was "two high school girls sharing everything". Before that it was "two girls surviving high school and sharing everything."
• New entrecard 125 x 125 image.

Have you ever parted ways with a business partner or blog contributor? Was it mutual or was did it turn ugly? And any ideas for a new tagline?

Why Going Outside Your Comfort Zone Is Worthwhile

Pushing yourself to do things outside of your comfort zone is the difference between watching from the sidelines and trying something yourself. Whenever I feel the anxiety flow through me when I am about to try something outside my comfort zone I remind myself the reasons why it is worthwhile. These are the reasons:

You can make new friends who you wouldn't have met otherwise. Some of the people I met through sports I was almost too scared to audition for ended up being my close friends. These people ended up having similar interests as me, but we didn't have a place to meet where we all shared a common interest. You couldn't meet them before, because they were in places outside your comfort zone.

You can find something you are passionate about that you would have never discovered. When I am on the water at crew practice it feels as if all my emotions wash away. All that is left is calming motions and the beautiful scenery. If I hadn't gone out of my comfort zone and tried it I never would have been able to feel this way.

Your passion could turn into your dream career. That one time you went out of your comfort zone and found your passion could lead to a career. If I had never gone out of my comfort zone and tried out for crew I couldn't feel that passion for crew. I would have never considered crew as a career. Even though I'm not seriously considering it is still as an option because I have tried it. Because you have tried something you have an option to use it as a career.

You may make a mistake while going outside your comfort zone. Most people wouldn't consider this as positive, but I do. Whenever I make a mistake I learn never to make the same mistake. If you had never gone outside of your comfort zone you would have never learned what works and what doesn't. You would still be in the dark about the issue. You are more likely to hone onto the mistake while outside your comfort zone, because you feel self conscious and nervous. You will pick up on it and not make it again. The important part is to not beat yourself up over the mistake and think of it as a mistake that will be prevented in the future.

Remember: A turtle can't move until it sticks its head out. In other words you can't move forward or backward until you go outside your comfort zone.

Why Freshmen Girls Shouldn't Date Upper Classmen

Before getting into a relationship with an upper classmen guy while you are a freshmen you should reconsider. You are just going to get hurt and ruin your social standings. I guarantee each of the things will be true if you date an upper class man.

He won't admit to his friends you are dating. His friends will tease him and tell him he is desperate to get some action. In high school dating someone older is always seen as "cool". Dating someone younger is just an embarrassment and an act of desperation to get some easy sex. A senior friend of mine was dating a freshman girl and when he was asked by some of his friends about it he denied the relationship. Whenever, he was around the freshman in public he refused to acknowledge her as his girlfriend. His friends would call her "the whore" and he wouldn't stand up for her, because she didn't mean anything to him.

Your journey into high school is just beginning while his is ending. As a Junior or Senior he is getting ready for college in the real world. In a few years he will be leaving and if you stay together that long (not likely) he will break your heart. As a freshman you are just getting used to high school and a bit awkward about it. He has been there for three or four years and can't wait to get out of there. You are on two completely different levels.

He will expect you to go farther sexually. Most likely he had a relationship before and has had sex. He will expect you to do it with him, because "all his other girlfriends have." You are excited about having a senior boyfriend so you give into his desires, because you don't want to lose him. You don't realize the only reason he is going out with you is for sex. And soon he will probably get bored of you and move on. On top of that you will be labeled as a whore and easy.

The Bottomline: Date a fellow freshman. It's not worth the pain you will experience.

Exams

Ugh, don't we all hate them.

Well, they're all over for me, and they weren't all that bad :] They even helped one of my grades!

Yes, I'm one of those overachieving students who cares very much about my grades, and sometimes it seems like all I care about. I sometimes need to sit back and relax, and not waste my whole high school career worrying so much.

Sometimes I wonder, what's the point of trying so hard? We go to school, only to prepare us for a job, and pay bills. This is when I realize the importance of being involved, just having fun sometimes. Being involved in something we love, being with friends, etc. I don't care for parties, and usually all it takes to make me happy is sitting in the bookstore on my Friday nights.

I'm so concerned about my grades because, wouldn't it be nice to get a very well paying job, so that bills wouldn't be such an issue? It'd be great to be able to buy such nice things for myself, and my kids (when and if I have them), of course not to the point where we're spoiled. I want to be educated, and think that expenses are no big thing, while appreciating the value of money.

Besides, good grades will only help you, no matter what.

My advice: You have to go to school anyways, do the stuff while you're there and don't waste your time. It can only benefit you.

My Mask Of Serenity

You may be wondering from the title what exactly a mask of serenity is. The second I step onto the school campus after avoiding getting run over by cars an internal mask comes over me. When I have it on nothing can hurt me or upset, but I can’t really feel any emotions. I act happy, but inside I feel a bit numb. I can feel happiness and can get a bit upset, but anxiety doesn’t overwhelm me and I can’t feel tear inducing pain.

All day I hold in all my emotions. I only show happiness or if I don't feel happy I don't show any emotions except to my closest friends. My happy side of me is more content than overly cheerful. Sometimes I fear that if I let them see the part of me in pain they’ll treat me different and it’s hard for me to trust them with my feelings. It’s just easier to stay numb. My emotions whack against a wall inside of me, but I just ignore them. I put them off for later and never show a sign of how I am internally feeling.

It is helpful in some ways. I don’t burden my friends with my problems and I don’t make any public fights. I never fight in public… I don’t really express anything in public. It is in private that I have my fights with my friends and really express how I feel.

When I get home sometimes I just collapse on my bed and sob. I hold all my pains and emotions and I feel like I am about to explode. When I get off the bus I feel like sprinting to my house. The relief I feel when I am all alone and am finally able to be myself if is indescribable. I wish I could just let go of my mask, because when I get home the pain wouldn’t be so built up. Maybe when I am with friends in private I wouldn’t snap at them, because everything hasn’t been pent
up.

But how can I let go of my mask? How can I let my guard down? I don’t know how to, but at least I’ve decided I want to. And at least admitted it, because now I don’t have to bear it alone.

Fashion and I = Oil and Vinegar

As you can probably tell by the title, I have no fashion sense whatsoever. Our school pretty much thrives on fashion & appearances, & I personally think they care way too much about it. It’s not that I don’t like fashion, it’s just that if I look at something & like it, it could be hideous to everyone else. I just never grew up with that sense, & I’ve come to realize it in about the 9th grade. I usually never paid attention to how everyone dressed. But it’s like you have to keep up with the fashion or fall behind.

I’ve noticed that once you hit high school, everyone has their personal looks that goes along with what kind of person they are. I’m still trying to find out what kind of person I am as many others are & I’ve settled on “multiple personalities disorder” for now. ;]

Anyway, at times I decide to just stop trying so hard to at least look a little bit presentable, with a normal outfit & whatnot. I’ve decided to not try to develop a sense of style, but just to dress like, whatever. I try to be comfortable, because that’s what I feel happy in. I have much better days in things that look bum-ish than days when I dress all up & feel totally uncomfortable. So screw fashion! (sorry Selene!)

Psh, I don’t need fashion, I’m cool enough to make up for it ;] (Not cocky, promise)
–Is