Hi, ate Ely! I just want advice po :( I hope you read this pero It's fine po if hindi. I appreciate you po! 😊

Hi, I'm currently a Grade 10 student this school year, and honestly, what happened earlier really pressured me. I'm in the pilot section (the first section), and at first, I was just observing my classmates—their personalities, the way they talk, and how they carry themselves. But the more I observed them, the more I realized that while they're undeniably smart, some of them also have incredibly high egos and pride. What I mean is that they're intelligent, but sometimes they act as if making mistakes are unacceptable. It feels like they judge people so quickly. If someone answers incorrectly, they get judged. If a teacher asks a question and you don't know the answer, some of them immediately assume that you're "bobo" or not smart enough to be there. Earlier, one of my friends, Jacky, was too shy to line up because she didn't want to interrupt two people who were talking. I helped her, and while we were there, I overheard some students talking about her. They said things like, "Nahihiya si Jacky kay Kira? 😂 That's such a weird concept," and "Parang hindi siya totoo. 😂" As her friend, I got offended by what they said. They judged her so quickly and made unnecessary comments about her, but I chose not to engage. Instead, I told Jacky about it. Surprisingly, she just told me not to mind them because they were only seeking attention. Since it's my first time being in a pilot section, I became curious. I asked some of my new friends if people there were really like that. One of them said yes. She even told me that if you make one mistake, fail to answer a teacher's question, or do something embarrassing, some students will judge you, mock you, and talk behind your back. The shocking part is that they can still act friendly toward you afterward as if nothing happened. I was honestly surprised. Is this really how some of them have been since Grade 7 until now? From what I've heard, this attitude isn't exactly new. Some of them have been known for being extremely competitive, to the point where everything feels like a competition. There's nothing wrong with wanting to do well academically, but sometimes it seems like they focus so much on other people's mistakes that they forget to reflect on their own. They can easily point out someone's wrong answer, awkward moment, or weakness, yet they rarely acknowledge their own shortcomings. What surprised me even more was when I heard that their Grade 8 adviser had already talked to them about this before. Apparently, she reminded them to lower their pride and ego and encouraged them to be more humble. She wanted them to understand that intelligence means nothing if you don't know how to respect and empathize with other people. Unfortunately, based on what I've seen and heard, it seems that some of them didn't really take her advice to heart. Instead of changing, some continued the same behavior of judging others, gossiping behind people's backs, and acting as if making mistakes are something to be ashamed of. That's what scares me the most. I'm not afraid of smart people—I actually admire them. What intimidates me is being surrounded by people who think that being smart gives them the right to look down on others. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has moments when they don't know the answer. No one is perfect, no matter how intelligent they are. One of my friends gave me advice, though. She told me, "Don't focus on other people. Focus on yourself. If you keep paying attention to what everyone else is doing, you'll only drain yourself." I know she's right, but I'm still scared. Adding to that pressure, our school is implementing a new curriculum. We were told that we need to get almost perfect scores on our quizzes. Our quiz scores shouldn't go below 7, and we need at least 47 points on exams to maintain a 90 average. Hearing all of that made me feel overwhelmed. I know it's only the beginning of the school year, but I can't help feeling anxious. What if I make mistakes? What if I can't keep up? What if people judge me the same way they judge others? At the same time, I don't want to spend the entire year worrying about what other people think of me. I want to focus on learning, improving, and doing my best. I know I won't be perfect, and I know I'll make mistakes along the way. But I also know that one mistake doesn't define my intelligence, my worth, or my future. Right now, I'm trying to remind myself that being in the pilot section isn't about proving that I'm better than everyone else. It's about growing, learning, and challenging myself. The pressure is real, but I hope that as the year goes on, I'll learn how to handle it and become more confident in myself. For now, I'm still scared. But I'm hoping that I'll eventually find my place here.