Back-To-School Memories

Admittedly, most of my thoughts are being directed towards my Fantasy Sports Blog this month. Hey, it's draft season... what are you gonna do???

With that being said, I refuse to neglect what is Between the Ears. I enjoy writing about random and obscure topics and sharing them with others. And I will continue to post twice a month.

One of my favorite things to do when faced with a situation like this is to write one of my classic "Top 5" lists. In the past I've listed my Favorite Places in Garden City, my Favorite Christmas Movies, and my Favorite Moments of 2012.

The big thing going on right now if you have children is BACK TO SCHOOL. (As I've also discovered, this also applies if you have a spouse who is a teacher.)

More often than not, I hated going back to school, but every once in a while my first day turned out to be alright. So for today's blog, I'm recalling my...

TOP 5 BACK-TO-SCHOOL EXPERIENCES

(Spoiler Alert --  The "Middle School Years" will NOT be making any appearances on this list.)


5. Junior Year of College (2006)
2006 may have been the single greatest year in history. If I could go back and relive a year, I would choose it in a heartbeat. That summer is filled with hundreds of memories I hope to never lose. When my Junior year started that August, it felt like one big continuation of summer. My friends were still around, and I even took a couple classes with them. I've never been more at ease in my life.

4. 1st Grade (1992)
I don't really remember a whole lot about my first day of Kindergarten, but I do remember a little about 1st grade. I was just really excited for school to start and felt like a big kid because it meant being able to go to school the WHOLE DAY. Plus, a lot of my friends were in class with me that year. (BTW - I got in trouble a LOT that year.) And what's this? You mean we get TWO recesses?!?!

3. 3rd Grade (1994)
Just a couple years later, I was part of the oldest class on the the south side of the building. I distinctly remember my teacher having a bulletin board with a giant foot print. It read, "3rd Grade - a BIG step". It was just one of those things that really stuck out to me. I also remember having math competitions and doing really well at those. Random.

2. Freshman Year of College (2004)
Going to the same school system for 13 years meant a lot of similarities from year to year. So moving out of Oswego and going to Pittsburg State was a Big Ordeal for me. Very intimidating. What stood out to me was just the different vibe. You hear about it, but experiencing it is a whole other story. I think I had four classes on that first day and spent a total of about an hour and a half in classrooms. It was a sign that college would be awesome.

1. Senior Year of High School (2003)
...but nothing compares to that Senior year of high school. With the ignorant arrogance that only a 17-year-old can possess, I felt like hot stuff. That all-school assembly when you know all the underclassmen are envious of you is a pretty unique feeling. And knowing that it was my last first day (in the public school setting) was enough to make it the most memorable back-to-school experience of my life.