Recently I wrote an article with advice for high school freshman. I realized when I went back to read it that it was lacking one very important piece of advice: how to walk in the hallways.
It's something I notice every day. There are people who have a certain talent for walking extremely slow, running way too fast, or just flat out stopping in the middle of the busiest hall intersection in the school.
It can become very frustrating when I am trying to get to class on time but I get stuck behind the slowest people in school. No one likes driving in traffic, so what makes you think we like walking in it?
So, as a way to help teach all of those who are guilty, here is my guide on how to properly walk in the hallways!
Step 1: Don't huddle.
When I get to school in the mornings, I like to walk around with my friends. The pleasure in doing so, however, dissipates when the entire width of the halls is crowded with huddles of people.
I mean, is it really necessary to stand side by side by side? You end up blocking all potential passages, making it impossible to get anywhere. Save the huddles for the field.
Step 2: Take actual steps.
Stand up. Place your right foot slightly in front of your left. Then, place your left foot slightly in front of your right. Continue doing so in a constant manner at a speed that a sloth couldn't easily mimic.
Step 3: Don't stop.
Hallways have a purpose in any and all buildings you will ever set foot in, and that is to allow people to move from one place to another.
By stopping in the middle of such a place, you prevent those who are trying to use the hall for its intended purpose from doing so. You also risk being knocked into by those of us who are trying to get to class.
If that happens, do not, I repeat, DO NOT give me the dirty look. It was YOU who wasn't moving, therefore it is not my fault.
Step 4: Don't run.
Just don't do it. I understand that you want to get to class on time or that you are trying to meet your “bae" outside of his/her classroom before he/she walks out, but there is no reason that you should be treating class change like an Olympic race.
You are not Usain Bolt. You can very easily get to class on time if you simply walk at a quick pace.
If you run, you will run into someone, and then you will look like the idiot.
Step 5: Walk on the right side of the hall.
Yes, I mean the actual right side. If you are walking forward (if you aren't, turn around and walk the correct way, you fool) you should be on the right side, not the left. This way, you are going with the flow of the traffic, not against it.
Also, don't be that one person who does walk on the opposite side. Think about it this way: if you are driving on the road, would you really drive on the left side? No. You wouldn't. So don't do it in school.
Step 6: Stop making out in the halls.
I understand that you may have a girlfriend/boyfriend and that you want to say goodbye before heading your separate ways, but please, spare us all. Not only should you not stand lip-locked for everyone to see, but you should also not stand lip-locked in the middle of the connecting hallways. My eyes don't need to see it, and I certainly don't want to be late to class because I got stuck behind Mr. And Mrs. PDA.
Step 7: Don't do the stare shuffle.
Seriously, do you have to be on your phone in the hallways? When you walk with your head down, reading the latest tweet or Snapchatting, you are no longer focused on walking.
Rather you are focused on what is happening on your little screen, slowing you down (or even making you stop completely) and turning everyone in the hall against you. Whatever it is that you are doing can wait, I promise!
Your phone won't start crying because you haven't paid attention to it for five whole minutes.
Step 8: Don't stop every time you see a friend.
Don't stop in the middle of the hall during class change to say hello or hug or start catching your friends up on the latest gossip; wave to them instead!
It's a friendly way of acknowledging their presence without blocking traffic or turning the students of the hall against you.
If your hands are full of books or binders, a simple smile or head nod will do too.
Step 9: Know where you are going.
During the first week of school, it's understandable if you don't know how to get to your class, especially if you're a freshman.
After that first week, though, you should be able to get around the halls. If you don't, figure it out before you walk out of class and turn jammed people traffic into deadlock people traffic.
Step 10: Just keep walking.
For all of those who do know how to properly walk in the halls, here is my piece of advice to you.
I am a senior in high school. I have managed to never once be late to class in both middle and high school, and plan to keep that up.
How do I do it? I never stop walking. I don't let anyone slow me down, and neither should you. Just keep walking, because if you don't, then you'll become the person who you can't stand being behind.
