Lydia Briggs

Lydia Briggs has developed a plan to help cope with starting at a new school each year.

On the first day of fifth grade I was really mad. Everyone knew each other. They were talking about their summer vacations and how great it was to be back together. I was a new student, having just moved into town from Alabama. I was angry at my parents for screwing up my life, for never having a stable home. I thought I would never fit in or have any friends.

Now, years later, I feel like I finally know the game. Once again, I’m at a new school. This time, in ninth grade. It’s become routine: the new faces that seem new somehow aren’t. I’ve never seen them before, but I somehow know what they are all about. I think I am a semi-expert now on starting the school year in a strange place, since I am constantly changing schools.

I have rules now to stop from being a loner. First, I try not to make too much eye contact. It sounds snobby, but it’s really just being cool. I also try not to fit in too much. And finally, I make sure to wear clothes that other people are wearing but still have my own style.

I’m not mad at my parents anymore, since I’ve figured out how to handle new schools with my survival techniques.