coping; what you said.

We get summer students every year where I work, but no one is mean to them. One of the students we just had was great. Today was her last day. It's funny, everyone says the same thing to them in the end. We look them in the eye and smile, and say,

"Don't ever come back."

Usually we don't have to explain that this is our way of saying "Good luck, work hard in school, and don't end up where we are when you're done."

It's really awesome that you're going back to school, and if I knew your situation better, I'd say focus on your school work; if your job takes away from that, and you can afford to, leave it behind. School is your future. And if you're staying, don't worry about those people, just like coping said. Keep your eyes on the prize.

I understand what it's like to feel paranoid, that people are talking about you, or even making fun of you. But don't let that stop you from putting your best foot forward. Also recognize that your anxiety makes things look worse than they are. We make our fears come true by obsessing about them. When people see that you're a nice person, anyone who says something bad about you is sticking their foot in their mouth.