Geeks at secondary school

[Citrus81]

Do they fit in?

DS is a total geek (and proud of it) but I worry that he'll get picked on for it! People keep telling me "it's kinda cool to be a geek at secondary school" but are they just trying to make me feel better?

On another note, it's his first induction day today. I left him at the "big school" gates with his little friend and watched them walk through a sea of scary looking teenagers. Please tell me it will turn out ok!? he's never going to be mr popular but I want him to at least enjoy school.

DS1 who is just finishing Year 7 has a theory that the boys in his year fit into 3 groups

1 The sporty ones (doesn't matter if they're academic or not)

2 The ones that are okay but sometimes do weird things like shout out in strange voices

3 The geeks and those who like Doctor Who

He reckons that nobody (including Group 3!) have any problems settling in as long as they don't act like they think they're better than anyone else.

I imagine a lone geek will struggle in a lot of places but if there's a small quorum of them they will thrive in most schools.

Well the first induction day went ok, the second one he ran into his first problematic child Some kid went up to him and asked him if he was a nerd and whether he thought he was "harder" than he was DS apparantly replied "if by nerd, you mean intelligent ... then yes, I am". The lad then burst out laughing and told everyone else what DS had said.

Grrr there's always one

Anyway DS still seems to like it and is looking forward to starting. They do seem to have a few clubs going on lunch times and evenings so if DS can just get involved in some of them at least he won't be walking the site on his own all day. I'm sure he'll fit in eventually but I think these first couple of years are going to be hard. Thing is he LOOKS like a stereotype geek and he acts and speaks like one. Bill Gates is his idol! like I said I'm sure he'll be ok in the future but year 7 and 8 are going to be hard I think.

Citrus, sounds like the boys were laughing at your ds's excellent comeback, not against him..?

My 'geek' DS at a not-so-bog-standard (pretty middle-class area) comp. is just about to complete a wonderful year 7 (August child too). He found a circle of like-minded boys who go around in their little bubble of fun, talking computers, robots, maths puzzles etc. We're sure the school made a point of putting like-minded children together (they set all subjects). It helped that he was selected for the chess club too (you earn points for your house). He too had the odd problem with pushing and shoving and name-calling in the corridor but a) the school sits very hard on this and b) he was with his mates so unlike primary (which was horrible), he shrugged it off.

p.s. when he mentioned being worried about being called a geek when he first met his HT the delightful creature said the word is banned at the school (not true, of course). The point she was making was that you shouldn't fall into the trap of labelling yourself.

p.p.s. I second the point about not being too obscure in one's tastes. We encourage him to be up on football, cars and whatever he fancies that is more mainstream.

Citrus81: good luck to your little one. I too was petrified on my LO's behalf.