THE ADVICE: Being a Bullied Introvert in Highschool

I've always been shy, even as a toddler. I used to hide between mum's legs, and my hair served as a glorious shield at any social events that required human interaction. So, of course, attending school was as chilling and as hair-raising for me as any gruesome horror movie would be to anyone else. For shy people like myself, I was the swinging bait amongst savages. Starting grade eight, I knew one person out of my class of one hundred. Because I was quiet, I was vulnerable, of course. It followed a pretty standard formula, and I was at the bottom of the food chain. Naturally, the girls considered beautiful were at the very tip of this triangle. They also happened to be the loudest, the most fortunate (in terms of money) and the most experienced (in terms of boys).
I'll be the first to say it; school doesn't cater to introverts. It always seemed like the outspoken and outgoing students got all the opportunities. If you were anything like me, you struggled to even raise your hand in class because you were afraid your voice would be too quiet to reach the front of the room. Or you were afraid your opinion would be shut down. I went to a bitchy all-girls school, so raising your voice was like throwing yourself to the vicious cats. As dramatic as I'm making it sound, that's really how it felt sometimes. I'm not saying that all single-sex schools are all bitchy, but girls can be nasty when they're in a group setting like that. It's a breeding ground for bullies. Being an introvert isn't easy in a world where the extroverts flourish.

I have a lot of valuable advice for anyone who struggled with going to school every morning because you were scared, so listen up. The first thing you need to know is, as soon as I graduated, no one's opinion mattered anymore. I'm two years out of highschool now, and I can assure you, the people who bullied you only become harder to remember. Time really does heal all wounds. So when you're drumming your fingers on your desk, waiting for your class to end, just remember graduation's not too far away.
The second thing is, you need to realise your self-worth. It doesn't matter if you need to stand in front of your mirror naked and chant 'I'm a bad bitch' a hundred times, just do it. Do whatever works for you. Dancing in your room to Taylor Swift makes you feel beautiful? Do it. Faking confidence is a lot more powerful than you think it is.
My next big piece of advice (what I wish I did more of in high school), is believe in what you think is cool. You're passionate about music? Go pick up an instrument, or show someone your favourite song. If you love sport, go try out for a team. If you love art, craft your best masterpieces. It doesn't matter if you're not Monet or Picasso. You do you. Being passionate about things is important and refreshing. You don't need to listen to apathetic, negative people.
My very last piece of advice, the closest to my heart, is that your opinion matters. If you think you have a valid point, I dare you to say it. The more you raise your hand in class, the easier it gets. Be brave sometimes.

Let me know if this advice was valuable to you!