Finding my school

   When I was at a primary school I knew for sure that I wouldn’t attend any private schools. No matter how much you'd pay me, I still wanted to go to a state high school. I used to think that teenagers at private schools are stupid, rich, spoiled and they are there only because beloved parents paid the bribe – the entrance fee. This was my opinion about private schools when I was something like 13-14.

   A year later (I was then in 8th grade of elementary school) I met a girl from a private school. She was my sister’s friend. To my surprise she didn't fit to my picture. The girl was NORMAL. She wasn't boasting, her knowledge was pretty big and her parents weren't some businessmen but ordinary people. I even liked her. But still I didn't trust public schools. My sister’s friend started to come around us very often. I spent some time with her. For all that time she was telling me about her school. Of course at the beginning she was saying only superlatives… 

I didn't believe in everything. I thought that she was pulling my leg a little bit. I knew how encouraging new students looked from my own experience. Anyway I went to her school, when the information day was organised for new students. I met there my sister’s friend and her buddies.

I imagined a nightmare, but it wasn't so. The teachers seemed to be nice and polite. There was really a nice atmosphere. The school had quite good results in teaching. A lot of their students took exams and passed to public universities. Although I have dyslexia, one of the Polish teachers told me that he could help me with my problems after school. 

   I showed my mom a leaflet and I described her my day with every detail. She said that if I wanted to I could take the exams. And if I didn’t like it, I could always change it.

   So now I am here, and I don't regret it. Practically everything what my sister’s friend told me was true. Now I know that I shouldn't have believed in superstitions about private schools.  Not everybody is rich; of course some of them are but if they have good taste they don't show off.

   Teachers demand from us pretty much, and I am happy about that, because every day I'm getting smarter and smarter (hopefully). :)

Author: Dorota Szymańska 3b

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Last modified: 06.12.2003