I identify with this so much, as well as the post from MiddayNap. I was always the new kid; due to my mother's mental instability, we were always moving around. The longest I stayed anywhere was the 4 years of high school which were actually pretty good. Junior high was the worst. I had a math teacher similar to Midday's who would yell at me in class and call me stupid. To this day, I have trouble with math. And though I have a degree in science, if someone pushes at me where math is concerned I shut down. I once saw a chemistry prof during office hours for a refresher on balancing equations, which requires some algebra 2 knowledge. It had just been a while is all, so I wanted help going through it. When I hesitated (I get slow sometimes), she snapped, "Well, you should know all of this before coming to this class; I don't have time to teach you remedial math and chemistry." I ran out of the office so fast, lol.

I don't know why people are mean. Maybe it has something to do with our animal instincts? Survival of the fittest? No really, I don't know. I'm in my 30's and still experience it, though it's not as overt.