1. Middle School vs. High School

One, the closing of one’s grade school years, and the other, a gateway to young adulthood. Middle

school and High school, two very important times of a young person’s life, share some similarities and

many differences. Middle school, just like its title explains, is the time when students are stuck in the

middle of childhood and young adulthood. People start to mature from earlier elementary years, and

try to find out who they are. While in the process of trying to fit in, new friend groups are shaped and

instead of being one big group of people, circles form and groups are segregated.

In addition to more classmates and teachers, responsibilities increase as students take on the load of

multiple classes, and now receive grades for their work. Teachers expect them to participate actively

in class, and complete their assignments on time. Although it only lasts 3 years, middle school is the

critical transitional period when new teachers, new classmates, more classes, and more work are

introduced all to prepare you for high school. After 8th grade, people leave the middle school bubble,

and advance to the jungle of high school.

Not only is the campus physically larger, but class sizes increase, and great expectations come along

with it. Although middle school may have seemed like a challenge, high school comes with once

again more work and more responsibilities. For students, high school is a sink or swim moment, and

some struggle to stay afloat. Some may have trouble focusing in school, but the ideal student is

completing their homework on time, studying for their exams, attending practice for their

extracurricular activities, and achieving a respectable grade point average, that will all pay off and get

them into their dream college.

Not only is the work different between the two environments, but so is the amount of freedom

students get. In middle school, kids are restrained to a certain curriculum. The schedule they get, is

the schedule they get, and nothing is changing. Part of their schedule, lunch, is also a time that is also

very different in middle school. All students are required to eat lunch in the same room at the same

time, and lunches include a choice between mystery meat, or last week’s hot dogs disguised as soup.

Contrary to middle school, in high school, students are granted much more freedom. Students can

choose which classes they will take, what teachers they have, what groups or clubs they will

participate in, what sports they will play, and much more. Not only can students choose all of their

activities, but students also have many options for what they want to eat. High schools often carry

popular foods such as subway, burgers, and French fries, and healthy foods such as fruit, and salads.