Student Essay - School can be a lonely place – Ha Neul, Year 9, Sri Utama International School

School can be a lonely place – Ha Neul, Year 9, Sri Utama International School

Do you like going to school? Most students don’t like to go to school but as soon as they arrive at school, they are happy because they can meet their friends. However, there are some students who are very lonely at school. One of the reasons is that they don’t have any friends. One of my friends was like that. It was four years ago. My friend, Hye Jin and I were in Sayfol, Year 5 IEP. There was a girl called So Hyeon who was a year older than me and she acted like she was the teacher so nobody in the class liked her. However, because she was older and bigger than us, we had to obey her.

A few days later, So Hyeon asked Hye Jin to change places with her. However, the place that she pointed to was beside a very naughty boy so Hye Jin told So Hyeon that she didn’t want to change places. When So Hyeon heard that, she laughed like crazy and said, “Hey, are you kidding? Everyone, listen up! From now on, you are not allowed to play or hang out with this girl!” From that time, students from that class who were friendly with Hye Jin started to ignore here. Although they didn’t want to, they were all younger than So Hyeon so they had to listen to her. Hye Jin told me that she was fine because I was always with her but I could feel that she was very lonely. Sometimes, I felt really sorry for her.

One day, So Hyeon ordered me to stop hanging out with Hye Jin. She warned that if I did not do as I was told, I would lose all my friends. I ignored her and continued hanging out with Hye Jin. I was happy to spend time with her. Whenever So Hyeon saw me, she would pull me away from Hye Jin. Sometimes, Hye Jin told me that she was very lonely. I didn’t know what to do. A few days later, So Hyeon hit Hye Jin and pretended that it was an accident. Over time, So Hyeon kept bullying Hye Jin and Hye Jin kept saying that she was very lonely. I was very angry but I didn’t know what to do. I asked my other friends but it didn’t help. They didn’t know what to do either. From then on, I started thinking about how I could get So Hyeon expelled from Sayol school.

Finally, I had an idea. I dragged Hye Jin to the principal and she divulged everything to the principal. So Hyeon was punished by many teachers. All the students in the school started teasing her and finally she changed school. I heard many rumours that she was also bullied in her new school so she decided to go back to Korea. Sometimes, I feel a little sorry for her but when I think of Hye Jin, I feel proud of what I had done. Friends in our class apologised to Hye Jin. Hye Jin was so touched that she looked as if she was going to cry but I quickly told everyone a funny story so that she wouldn’t cry.

Hye Jin was very grateful to me and until now, she sometimes says that she was very lonely at that time. I always tell her not to think about that time. From that experience, I know that school can be a lonely place. That is why I would never desert my friends.