Labels are slapped on our backs the minute we grow up and are old enough to realize what they are. They include the nerd, the jock, the rich girl, the dumb blonde, the druggie, the teacher's pet, the band geek, and the wanna-be amongst a million and one others. More than likely, we all have been referred to as something. We were placed into this social group, this classification, by our peers growing up. We carry it for the extent of our K-through-12th-grade life, and they can have somewhat haunting effects on who we grow up to be. For me, I was known as one of the "smart kids."

Okay, I know what you're thinking. "How bad could it possibly be that you were known for being smart?"

It's not a bad thing to be known for being good at the whole school thing. I took some honors classes in middle school and high school, three AP classes (which is nothing compared to some of my peers), and I was in a vocational program as one of three juniors admitted to the class. I'm grateful that people acknowledged me for something important. But once you get a label slapped on you, you have certain "norms" you're supposed to follow.

Growing up, I had too much pride and I was way too scared to ask for help. I was petrified at the thought of going and asking my teacher a question about a problem or a concept, and that fear has carried on with me to college. I know in my heart that asking for help is completely normal and totally okay, but for whatever psychological reason, I cannot make myself ask for help. It's one of the biggest flaws in my personality.

My "friendships" or relationships with others were forced on the occasion, and I even questioned a lot of friends I did have because, sadly and truthfully, some people only talked to me in certain classes and ignored my existence everywhere else. Since boys became a part of my life and I started getting actual crushes on them, I can't count the number of times, in middle school mostly, they would not only find out about it but use it to their advantage and ask for my "help" on their homework. This "help" consisted of taking my homework, copying all of my answers, and then turning it in and getting A's on their assignments, then going back to pretending that I didn't exist except for their benefit. It sucked because I grew up thinking that boys would never like me for me, but only if I could do something that would benefit them.

Somewhat surprisingly, this kind of thing continued on into high school, but it was much different. People always asked to copy my homework by coming up to my locker, texting me and asking me to send them pictures of my assignments, and countless other things. It got old after a while, and it kind of made me bitter towards people, which is never a good thing.

The last thing that growing up as a "smart kid" did is send my self-esteem to pretty much rock bottom because my expectations for myself skyrocketed all these years. I expected myself to be this incredibly intelligent and extremely successful student forever, and sadly, I haven't lived up to those expectations. When people ask me how school is going, they always expect to hear a "great!" or "I love it!" even though I respond with "not so great," or "I hate it".

I wasn't even considered the smartest in my class, so I can't even imagine what it can feel like for them. But I try to think of it in a more positive light, like I could be known for something worse. I'm just trying to get through college just like everyone else.