The First Day of High School

Our first day of high school will be Monday, August 9th. I know,stinks, right? It will be the freshman year for several, and the final year for just as many.  The big thing is that there will be a lot of students stressing out over the days leading from 9th to that final 12th grade year.  Before I begin to tell you about the big day, I think I should tell you that our school is huge. There are two stories and about 50 bazillion sets of stairs. If a student can survive in a school as big as this one, they can survive a day in a smaller one. And if it’s bigger, well, then, more power to ya!  It makes me think back to my first day of high school.  I was a 10th grader when I went to high school because I went to junior high, which was 7th - 9th grade.  Well, my day started with my alarm failing to go off. But, that was ok because, I was too anxious to sleep, so I was already awake. After a wonderful breakfast of cold pizza left over from Sunday lunch it was time to go. Notebooks were bulky in my arms....and I did not even have a book yet.  We would not get our lockers until sometime during the first few days of school.  It would be my luck that my locker would be nowhere near any of my classes....and it wasn't.  It was not cool to use a backpack or book satchel....so we carried them....and they were cumbersome and heavy.  My objective was to fit in.  I did not want anyone to know I was just a lowly sophomore.  As I stepped off the bus with my gym bag full and binders in tow, someone with a megaphone (could have been the principal, or just some random person off the street trying to confuse us) shouted at us that instead of going right to first period, we were to report to study hall to get a finalized schedule.  Great.  They had all that information posted on a wall outside the principals office...This was not good news for me. I had made a map of the school with  nice little lines marking my path from the front door to my first class. Now I had to locate a room that I had no idea even existed. Everything went well. I got through second period, third, fourth, and then came fifth. Math class...and I was a little confused.   My friends were all in Geometry....but for some reason....I was in Analytical Geometry and Trig.  Houston...we have a problem here.  I was missing a step.  I got to the room and sat at the very back.  Everyone in the class was a senior....that is everyone but me.  So in the back of the room, I picked a desk and watched students file in, one by one. I don't remember the teachers name....but I can tell you that the teacher was a guy! And to make things worse, he began....where he should have.  I didn't know who Pythagorus was...let alone anything about all the theories this guys kept talking about.  After class I went to the teacher and told him a mistake had been made.  He informed me very quickly that computers don't make mistakes....well....people...let me tell you....this one did and a big one.  It took six weeks to get me out of the class and into the Geometry class I was supposed to be in.  By then.....I had missed all the lectures and notes on Pythagorus.   I was screwed.  Lunch was the part of the day I'd really been looking forward to. I’d heard that  you could sit with anyone you wanted to...but you better make the right decision. No one seemed to care about where you planned to sit...until you tried to sit there. The lunch line was slow, so by the time I had my food, the only seats left were not near any of my friends.  Sigh!  I learned to get to lunch early.  That way you could pick your seat.  Sixth and seventh period blew by, and I freaked out about finding my afternooon bus. Looking back, I don’t even know what I was worried about! I climbed on, and that was that! Over and done! All that stressing I had done the night before was for nothing!  The funny part of the whole high school experience for me is that I was the child who was the wall flower.  Nothing about me stood out.  I was very timid.  I hated high schoool.  I am living proof that God has a sense of humor....because for the last 24 years I have been in a high school....sure I am on the other end of the stick, yes I am no longer a Forest Hill Falcon, I am a Benjamin Russell Wildcat....and yes...my experiences in high school have been a good thing...because I know what to look for in those kids that were like me.....and my word of advice to them would be.... If I could do it, and if millions of other underclassmen all over the country have done it, there’s no doubt that the class of 2014 and 2013 will do it, too! And once the first day is over with, all you have to do is enjoy the next 179 days, because the toughest one is already over.  So readers, comment and tell me what YOUR first day of high school was like?   ALSO....do you remember your high school Alma Mater?  I do!