I didn’t expect that experience to change me that much, but it did and surprisingly, I like it.

It is never easy going into high-school, especially when you go from a school with both male and female to a school of only girls. It is tough to go from being the only girl in a group of boys to being the only tomboy in what seemed to be a sea of pink frilly princesses. Going from playing soccer with the guys to sitting and talking about the latest song and the coolest handbag and make-up and who you has a crush on who just did not seem right. Little did I know that I wasn’t the only person who felt like they did not belong in this princess world. It was hard to be a first-rate version of myself because I knew it would be frowned upon, but I took a chance at it.

The grade 8’s of 2009 seemed to be a group of short skirt wearing look-a-likes who only cared about what other people thought about them and not how they felt inside. It seemed like marks, having the latest fashion and being able to brag with mommy and daddy’s credit card was the in thing and the one with the most expensive stuff ruled the group, like they were all second-rate versions of each other. No-one knew that I was from a not so rich, not so materialistic family and thus I stuck out like a sore thumb. I was surprised when one of the girls started talking to me and then, I guess, the change within the grade started.

It seemed like a group of girls who never knew what was beyond the Bryanston area were actually interested in the other parts of the world and not only their protected, fragile little world. Their morality seemed to play out in the first few weeks and eventually I was able to pick out people who were tired of the same old same old. Some of the girls wanted to be doctors (of cause) but others wanted to be scientists and international divers and tennis players. Things girls from such rich families seem to never want to be. It was amazing to see such a diverse range within something that once was so confined and restricted within itself.

Looking back on the first three years of high school, I realise how far the grade has come, how far we have come not only in terms of academics and aging, but also in finding ourselves. We have all taken different routes in subject choices; yes we see each other every day, but we don’t walk around like second-rate versions of each other anymore, we rather all walked around as the first-rate version of ourselves which everyone knew was true to us. It is hard to remember the copied versions of the grade now because we have all come so accustomed to having our true selves shine.

I guess in retrospect, most of the girls came through from primary school together and having an influx of different girls scared them. Obviously the new girls wanted to fit in, and so the copying went forth. However, as we aged and became used to the environment, many girls branched off and became their own being, followed by the rest to find their true side. I don’t regret coming to this school and watching such and evolution in self-awareness. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I like the grade and enjoy being around these girls now.