THERE are moments in school where some people start acting like being “ahead” makes them better. It can come from higher batches or even from those holding higher positions. 

There’s this quiet shift in attitude, subtle but noticeable, where confidence slowly turns into a sense of superiority.

But at the end of the day, we’re all just students.

Maybe it’s true that higher batches have more experience since they have spent more time in the system, they know how things work, and they’ve gone through challenges that the lower batches are only beginning to face. 

The same goes for student leaders, the presidents, officers, and heads of organizations. They carry responsibilities, make decisions, and represent groups of people. 

These roles are not easy, and they deserve recognition, but experience and leadership were never meant to create separation from others. 

Sometimes, it appears in small ways. A tone that feels a little too dismissive. An unspoken “we’re above you” energy. 

It doesn’t always come from bad intentions, but it’s felt, and when it’s felt, it creates a gap, and instead of building a stronger community, it makes others feel like they have to shrink themselves just to fit in.

Holding a title doesn’t make anyone more important, it just means they’ve been given the chance to lead or the privilege to be ahead for now. 

That “for now” matters because roles and batch levels are temporary. The way we treat people, however, stays with them much longer.

This is a reminder that many people might be thinking but not saying out loud.

Leadership is not about being looked up to out of fear or status. It’s about being approachable, being respectful, and making others feel seen. 

A good leader doesn’t make people feel small to prove a point. A good leader creates space for others to grow, speak, and belong.

The same goes for higher batches. Being older in the system should mean being someone others can learn from, not someone they feel intimidated by, because respect should never have to be demanded through position or seniority. It should come naturally through how a person treats others because, after all, respect should be earned.

Truthfully, everyone here is still figuring things out. 

A freshman, a senior, or a student leader, no one has everything completely figured out. We all have our own pressures, expectations, and struggles behind the scenes, and that shared experience should be enough to remind us to treat each other with a little more understanding.

It’s also worth breaking the idea that this kind of behavior is just “normal.” That it’s something people just grow into, or something juniors will eventually understand. 

Because if we keep accepting it, it just continues. 

Today’s juniors become tomorrow’s seniors who might unknowingly do the same thing, and the cycle never really ends.

But it can end with awareness.

It starts with small choices. Choosing to be kinder in how we speak. Choosing to be more patient when someone is still learning. Choosing to use our position, not to stand above others, but to stand with them.

Being respected for your title is one thing, but being remembered for your character is another.

We all walk the same hallways. Sit in the same classrooms. Feel the same pressure to succeed. 

Titles and batch levels may give structure to our school, but they should never define anyone’s worth.

No one is beneath anyone here, and the moment we start treating each other as equals with kindness and not hierarchy, that's when the school becomes not just a place to study, but a place where people actually feel they belong.

Stay grounded. Titles may rise, but humility is what truly sets you apart.