Obama Talks to Students at Wakefield High School (9-8-09)

Read the complete transcript of Obama's words to the Virginia High schoolers:

OBAMA: So that’s the main message that I want to send is take advantage of the opportunity. If -- if you are hungry for learning, you will find teachers that want to help you, you will -- you know, your parents will be there for you, the community will be there, you will be able to finance college, you will be able to get a good job, you will be able to have a successful career. But you’ve got to want it. And that’s the main message that we want to send.

So, with that, we’ve got about 20 minutes just to go back and forth. And I know, like I said, it’s a little intimidating having these folks around. But it’s not every day that you get a chance to talk to the president, so.

(LAUGHTER)

I’m not going to call on anybody. Just whoever has a question or a comment, a suggestion, an idea about what you think would make school better, things that you think make it tough for some kids, even if it’s not you, but things that you’ve heard, that you think we should know. Questions about Bo, my dog, that’s OK, too.

(LAUGHTER)

You know, whatever -- whatever comes to mind.

So who wants to start off? I know -- there you go (inaudible). We’ve got a mike so everybody can hear you.

Introduce yourself.

QUESTION: How has your life changed?

OBAMA: What’s your name?

QUESTION: Jimmy.

OBAMA: Jimmy.

How’s my life changed?

(CROSSTALK)

OBAMA: Well, you know, when you -- when you announce that you’re running for president -- first of all, I was a U.S. senator before I was a president, so people already sort of knew me, but just in Illinois, in my home state, in Chicago. And when you announce that you’re running for president, suddenly a lot more people know you. And then, slowly, you get Secret Service. And then, when you win the nomination, you get more Secret Service.

OBAMA: And then, when you become president, then everything just shuts down.

And so, you know, one of the biggest changes in my life is that I can’t just do things normally like I used to be able to do them. And that’s hard sometimes.

I mean, you know, I can’t just get in my car, go to the store, pick up, you know, some whatever it is that I feel like picking up.

(LAUGHTER)

I can’t go take a walk without shutting down a whole bunch of roads and really inconveniencing a lot of people.

And so, in terms of my own personal life, I think the biggest change is that I’m inside what’s called the bubble, you know. I can’t just do things on the spur of the moment.

And that’s actually the toughest thing about being president. Because, you know, you want to just be able to interact with people normally, right?

And these days, either people are waving and really happy to see me or they’re booing me, saying, you know...

(LAUGHTER)

But -- but nobody just, kind of, interacts with you in a -- in a normal way.

The good thing about being president is I’ve got this really nice home office called the Oval Office.

(LAUGHTER)