Middle School...Those Were The Days

             Today as I'm walking towards my old middle school I attended just a short two years ago, I commented to my friend, "you know, I really miss middle school." She was incredulous, and replied that she had the exact opposite sentiment. She thought that middle school was an awkward time that doesn't even compare to the high school life. While I have to agree with her in some respects that high school is quite a bit better in the social aspect, returning to my middle school reminded me of the serious advantages of the pre-high school days.
             I remember first weeks of high school being a huge shock to me. In middle school, I didn't have to study for anything really at all. I got straight A report cards, I didn't really care at all about the work I turned in. The night before a test I barely even have the upcoming exam on my mind. Whereas now as a high schooler today, I have a U.S. History test tomorrow, and it's basically all I can think about. The only things going through my mind are the dates of major World War II battles, and the Jewish casualties on the Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht).
             Middle school was also a time when it was easy to shine. There weren't all that many students (much less than half of my current class). Within this group of students, you could find at least one, if not many, different areas to stand out in. Whether it was academics, leadership, performing arts, sports, whatever your thing may be. I recall feeling on top of the world when I was in middle school. I was in student ambassadors, a wrestling manager, in the chorus of the musicals, getting A's, first chair clarinet, I was living the dream. But then high school hits, and everyone is so smart and talented and wonderful, it's really hard to find anywhere in which you can stand out from the crowd.
              High school is probably better in the ways that freedom is increased by a landslide, you finally  have your group of friends you fit in with solidified, bigger school, definitely more entertaining and dramatic. I do love high school, and if I were given the choice, I would pick it over middle school. But sometimes, I can't help missing the feeling that I knew everyone in my class. The feeling that my life still had so many millions of places to go, that I was barely getting started. Now I feel like the finish line in the race of childhood is emerging, getting closer and closer by the day. Middle school was a time of limited pressure. A time when possibilities were endless. So now, as I digress from this blog entry, I must go study for the AP U.S. History test.....yes, that makes sense.