As third quarter came to an end and the underclassmen and teachers got used to the lack of effort put into school, along with doubled effort of partying by second semester seniors, I decided I too needed something to be excited about. It seems the whole “I’m practically done with school at Staples and can do whatever I want from now until graduation” mindset is taken, so I have chosen one that pertains a little more to me, as a sophomore.

So here’s what I’m getting excited about: in just two more quarters I will officially be an upperclassmen.

I will have my license by the end of this month, so I will hopefully have parking my junior year… this will have an epic turnout. The effect will be immeasurably great because I can finally kiss the stuffy and raucous bus goodbye. I can stop embarrassing myself as I stand at the end of my driveway looking like a homeless bag lady with all of my sports equipment and swimming gear (another benefit to being an upperclassmen: I’ll never have to set foot in the Staples pool again, unless by choice), while the loads of cars with student drivers pass by me and I await my lovely morning bus ride. Now I can be one of those lucky upperclassman, and pass by the sad little sophomores and freshmen waiting for their rather unfortunate ride to school. I can pull into the Staples parking lot “ridin’ dirty” while all the sad frosh and sophomores watch in envy.

As an upperclassman, I will also get out of all the trivial work on sports teams, like lugging water and ball carts from field to field or court to court. I will be able to thank the sophomores and freshman for offering so politely to carry everything, all the time!

I’ll be able to sit in the luxurious senior section; it might be overrated, but that’s for me to determine and I can guarantee I will have a fantastic time doing so. I can even cut in the sandwich line and watch people part like the red sea.

Of course, there might be a few disadvantages to being an upperclassman that I have to take into consideration. Starting next year, I will gradually lose a little more sleep every night as the workload begins to take its toll. AP and honors classes will pile on the work and SAT tutoring will take up all my extra time.

Then there will be college visits crowding my weekends and vacations, and the stress of finding a school I fit into.

But if I survive the academic hell… well then I make it to college, of course, but more importantly, I make it to that semester. The one where I can do my homework three minutes before the class it’s due begins, and not care if I get every problem on it wrong. Better yet, I can just not do the homework at all! The semester I can leave school at 12:15 p.m. or leisurely walk in at 9 a.m., thanks to two free periods. The semester I can make up for lost time and get back all those wasted hours I spent studying logarithms and stoichiometry. The semester I can enjoy senior pranks, AP assassination, and being the oldest student in the school.

But until then (approximately 651 days or one year, nine months, ten days), it’s the bus, water cooler, and sophomore lunch section for me. I can deal with this, but had I not gotten swimming over with first quarter, who knows how I would get through.