Everything that went wrong on my first days at york
05/23/2021Everything that went wrong on my first days at york
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The first day at a new school is scary, trust me I know. Over my lifetime I’ve had my fair share of first days, seven give or take. None have been as memorable as my first days at York.
Before we get into this, it is important to note that I live in Mississauga, which is a good 40 minute drive away from school on a good day. Everything about coming to York was new, different and terrifying. I was starting highschool and getting to know the city. On top of that, I was expected to take the TTC and GO Train everyday by myself without ever doing so before.
The story begins on orientation day. Turns out we didn’t have the right schedule, or at least we got them mixed up. I arrived at 8:50 am in full uniform, right down to my new black shoes. I was then informed that uniform was not required and that the orientation activities didn’t start for over an hour. I obviously didn’t have time to go home and change so I had no choice but to stay. Being earlier than the ambassadors, I helped set everything up for their activities before waiting for everyone to arrive in the library. As new students trickled in, it became increasingly clear that I was the only one wearing the uniform… which was slightly awkward.
In our new advisor group I didn’t connect with anyone immediately which was really nerve wracking since this was the class I’d spend ICE and advisor with. The rest of the day went pretty well though, I met some people who would eventually become my friends, got mistaken for a middle schooler multiple times (I’m pretty short), and had fun. A lot of the activities we did were games and icebreakers which was a little awkward in my full uniform but no one even really cared... as far as I know.
As exciting as it was meant to be, the grade nine trip to Wanakita was perhaps one of the most terrifying events of my life.By the time school started on our first day of school, we were well on our way to camp.
Everything went pretty smoothly as we made our way to where we would be staying. I was happy to have one of the girls who was particularly friendly assigned to me as my cabin roommate. Despite that, I was pretty lonely most of the time during camp when there were no set out activities for us to do. My advisor introduced me to a group of girls sitting around a picnic table playing cards. I also didn’t connect with them at all and went right back to being alone. I spent my free time doing crafts in the dining hall all week which was fun, but probably not the point of going to camp.
The trip was far from what I hoped it would be but it wasn’t all bad. It was a way to be introduced to my classmates, teachers and the mentors while in a non-school surrounding. While I may not have liked the trip at certain moments, I understand that it was meant to be a different start to the school year, and looking back on it I can smile because I know how far I’ve come since then (and cringe at all the embarrassing parts).
A week after the camp I decided to sit with the girls from the picnic table and we tried (and were successful) at squeezing twelve of us in one booth at the cafeteria. It was silly and the perfect way to become friends. (I’m pretty sure twelve people around a booth is a safety hazard, also it was a tight fit, so I would not recommend it.)
The intention of this article is for new students who are worried or feel like they may not be having the easiest time integrating themselves in the social scene at York. It’s okay if you make mistakes because no one will remember them all…. unless you write an article about it for The Stand. First days and first weeks are scary, however for someone who’s not the best at talking to new people, I managed to be more than fine in the end and you will too.
As annoying of advice as it is; be yourself. My friends are brilliant and love science, I on the other hand love the arts and collect rainwater for my dying succulents. We might not have the most things in common at first glance, but it’s our personalities and other interests that bind us together. Being yourself allows you to attract the right kind of people for you, so you can be happy, comfortable and a genuine human being which is more important than anything.
As far as I know, everyone at the school and in your class is more than happy to talk to you or help you. It’s intimidating when you feel like everyone knows each other already, but they want to be friends as much as you want to be. If you feel like you could use an extra boost, join clubs! Already you will have something in common with others, and from there relationships can only grow. I suggest Spanish Club (I may or may not be one of the leaders…) but there are so many other co-curricular activities that students love.
Finally, bad dress rehearsals mean good performances right? Take your time, be yourself and remember to have fun. The York School challenges you to step out of your comfort zone, go whatever pace you need but know that we couldn’t be happier that you’re here.
Written By: Lauren Chia
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