Both people and high schools vary widely. I dropped out and finished through distance learning, and that was a great choice. But traditional high schools can also be a great choice.
If completing your GED at 14 is a plausible option, so is completing high school early. And a much better one, because it doesn’t come with the dropout stigma.
The OP could opt for the “home school” route, then, and if his parents aren’t up to the challenge, he can complete high school online though something like K12.
Far too many teenagers put up with bullying and whatnot at government high schools simply because they, and/or their parents, believe that it’s “best” for them (or that there is no other option). Bullshit. The advent of the internet means that NO CHILD has to put up with the crapfest that is a public high school if he doesn’t want to. Just study on your own, man. GED, K12, distance learning, whatever they call it. Just do it.
ETA: And I’m sure private high schools can be just as bad, if not worse.
Hell, every friend I knew turned into a douche by junior high. I guess it has to do with the lack of authority constraints, and a greater need to impress.
The key is simply to move on. Friends are replaceable.
There’s also just the larger pond syndrome. You go from a single group of people you’re with nearly an entire year to seven or so different groups of people. And you have more contact with people older than you, too.
For some people, all it takes is to no longer be your friend and then they treat you like dirt. They only care about themselves and their own.
High school is indeed like a yard full of chickens, constantly singling out one member to be pecked to death that day, all the while keeping up the facade that it’s all about school spirit, supporting the team, etc. Some members are truly awful, gaming the system to serve their own ambition, but most kids just want to keep their heads down and get through (although they seldom abstain from the mass peckings). So yes, society will always be like that for the rest of your life.
The thing is, though, none of that shows up on transcripts. The tickets to your future are only punched by a few select adults, and they operate on this principle: “make trouble for me, and I’ll make worse trouble for you. But make me look good to those I answer to, and I’ll reward you.”
Unless you want to go to the elite schools as the next level, and have to show all sorts of club involvement, and organized sports, and community service, you can avoid the chicken yard, enjoy your friendships for friendship’s sake, and just do the damn job.
I can definitely agree with this. Especially regarding the transition from Elementary to Junior High. Going from 1 class/1 teacher every day, to multiple classes/multiple teachers leads to many new acquaintances. More friends, more enemies.
Sorry, I’m new. What forum do I use.
That is a great way to look at it. I’ll take it with a glass of water and just keep it simple.
And around here, there are LOTS of other options - from online schooling so you don’t need to be in school with your peers, to homeschooling, to charter schools, to graduating early, or taking college classes while still in high school. All which result in a high school diploma (although graduating from homeschool gives you a non-accredited dipolma - better score ok on your college admissions).
35 years ago, rather than drop out, I completed my credits and graduated at 16. This was before they had college enrollment in high school programs.
But, there can be some benefit in sticking it out if you can fall in with a like minded group. My daughter’s high school is very different than my high school - in that a geeky girl had really no place to fit (maybe drama and yearbook) in my high school - in hers she has drama, knowledge bowl, anime club, drumline, poetry club, the literary magazine, robotics team, math team - and those are just some of the geeky options. (There are non geeky options as well, including the trap shooting team) This year they’ve also had book clubs focusing around movie releases (Hobbit, Divergent)
It has been my experience that those who have changed as you mentioned, later on in life past high school, college, and working, they developed some serious problem in high school and it was best to stay away from them. Sorry if you feel you were treated badly by them or they disappointed, or were perhaps even very mean but it’s not about you. It’s a reflection of their home life and internal struggles. Just look to make new friends. I clearly remember some people in middle school who were very good friends I thought turned into total jerks in high school, so I avoided them.