While high school isn't the exact stereotype that TV shows make it out to be, there are many truths to those shows. One of the largest truths is the inevitable tier system that develops, which causes kids to rank one another and treat others based on those ranks. This was the biggest issue I had with high school. I lived in the same town my entire life, which meant that I went to school with the same kids my entire life. As a young kindergartener, I was very shy and timid, however I was also smart. This led me to being placed in certain gifted classes, but I was never social, and I refused to ever raise my hand to answer a question.
As the years went on I started to come out of my shell. I found friends that I enjoyed being around, and I learned that raising your hand isn't as scary as I had thought. But this didn't change how people saw me. Although I had grown, when I got to high school I was still a smart girl that few people actually knew since I had never talked to them when I was younger. I was stuck. I felt that I had grown out of the person that I was eight years prior, but no one treated me any differently, no matter how hard I tried to show that I wasn't that shy little kindergartener anymore. This led me to be in the unpopular crowd.
Then we graduated. We moved on to college, where we would all go our separate ways and no one would know who we were anymore. I was thrilled to finally get a chance to start over, and be who I wanted to be. But college wasn't all I had hoped it would be.
When I first arrived at freshman orientation I felt free. I talked to everyone, and everyone talked to me. We were all equal, the ranks had dissolved. But then Greek Life took over. Before I continue, I would like to say that I am not trying to degrade Greek Life. I am a part of it, and love my sorority and my sisters so much. But, like much else, Greek Life is not a perfect system.
Through my rush process, it was clear that there were tiers of sororities, those that were much more popular than others. I ended up in a "low tier" sorority. I then discovered that it was the same with fraternities. They were ranked based on how attractive people thought they were, and which sororities they partied with. I discovered that even in college, the rank system is inevitable. But why?
Why do people feel the need to stereotype one another into groups and rank them? Why do people limit themselves to socializing only with others of their own rank? College is a time meant for growth and development. This would be improved so much more if everyone talked to everyone, regardless of this imaginary rank. I came to college to escape high school, not repeat it. So I won't let these ranks define me.
