Last Day of School

Today was my last day of my junior year.  Since I'm going to be a senior next year, I thought I'd do a little bit of remembering before I'm swept up into the arms of life and I become to busy, nostalgic, or uninterested in remember what the early high school years were like for me.  Perhaps we could compare :)

Freshman Year
What was exciting?

• It was my first year in high school, so everything was absolutely magical.  
• The maze on the second floor of my school was just begging to be explored and deciphered.  
• I was really excited to meet new people.  I hardly hung out with any people from my middle school.  Maybe one or two.  Possibly three.
• I met my current boyfriend and we've been inseparable ever since.

What was not so hot?

• Having people from my middle school come up to me and want to talk about middle school, which I thought was unfortunate that they couldn't move on and want to talk about the new adventures they were having in high school like I was.
• Playing scales in band... those things suck...
• On the first day of school, someone I knew told me that upperclassmen take freshman, turn them upside down, and duct tape them to the flag pole.  So what wasn't cool about this was the fear that it would happen to me.  Luckily it didn't.  They just made it up.

Sophomore Year
What was exciting?

• The main exciting thing was that I was no longer a freshman.  I felt like an old veteran of my school.
• Being in classes with juniors and older.
• Being in concert band (which, technically speaking, is level two of three band).
• Hosting two French students (though not at the same time) and continuing to keep in touch with both of them.

What was not so hot?

• APUSH.  Freaking APUSH... (for those of you that don't know, APUSH stands for AP U.S. History. It's a mandatory class, whether we like it or not).
• Being in the middle of nowhere on the totem pole of high school; you're not a newbie, but you're also not an upperclassman.  So where does that put you?

Junior Year
What was exciting?

• Getting into Wind Ensemble (level three band) and being able to go on my first tour, which was to Chicago (great city!).
• Meeting new people, which I didn't really think would be possible for me because I thought that once you were an upperclassman, it wasn't a very good idea to make new friends just to let them go in another year or less.
• Getting really challenged in my classes, even if I did get a grade that's nothing to brag about.
• Learning new card games like Egyptian Rat Slap, Cribbage, and Hong Kong (though I've only played the latter once).
• AP English and having a really awesome teacher that obviously like her job and the subject she taught.
• Getting my first job

What was not so hot?

• Knowing that this is your second to last year with the people you've grown close to since freshman year; your time is limited.
• Nervously waiting for my AP test scores to arrive in late July.
• Having to find a job after my summer one ends.

*Senior Year*
Let's switch the questions up a bit... What looks attractive?

• Going to France, which means I'll get to leave the country and the continent for the very first time!
• Going to Washington D.C. for music tour and getting closer to my friends that are in the music department with me.  Spending 23 hours on a tour bus one way.
• Possibly returning to New Orleans for a second visit with my church.
• Graduating and moving out later in the summer!

What looks rather sucky?

• Being the only bass clarinet in band... blarg... no stand partner... I have to have inside jokes with myself now...
• Having to say good bye to my friends that are younger than me and getting ready to go off to college, wherever that is.
• So much to do-- scholarship essays, college applications, room mate assignments, soul searching, etc.
• Saying good bye to the people who are your age.  Even though I know I'll still keep in touch with most of them, I won't be able to see them as often as I'm used to.