Preface

It has been 5 days since the middle school entrance exam. Now, I can finally reflect on my three years of middle school.

Beginning

I am not a native of Mianyang.

But I have spent almost all of my fifteen years in Mianyang—kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and even the high school two months from now, which I will also spend in Mianyang.

Honestly, I have spent less than a year at my hometown.

Why?

I don't know, because everything depends on my parents—they say the education quality here is high.

But isn't Nanchang's education as good as that of a third-tier city?

I don't know, because I have no comparison standards.

Mianyang is considered a third-tier city, but its education level far exceeds most cities in the province. (Mianyang No.1 Middle School and Chengdu No.7 Middle School can sometimes compete)

So I will believe them for now.

Enrollment

At that time, there was still some talk about "招" (selecting top students), meaning each middle school would "poach" the best students from elementary schools, and I was one of those recruited by No.7 Middle School.

Quite tongue-twisting

What does this mean? The entrance exam for primary to middle school is basically unnecessary (if divided by district, I would be directly assigned to No.8 Middle School across the street)

For me, an out-of-town student, middle school was no longer a worry.

Challenges

Because of some reasons, I haven't been very popular since childhood. As a result, I am somewhat introverted.

Fortunately, my situation improved in the last two years of elementary school. But then came middle school.

This meant—relationships built in elementary school were all invalidated.

In the first years of middle school, my social skills remained poor—I couldn't get along with others. At that time, Chengbei (North City) hadn't been separated yet, so many students from Chengbei elementary directly advanced to No.7 Middle School.

In a large class, only 3 students came from the same elementary school, not to mention another student from a different campus.

This led to a problem: I almost didn't understand their jokes. (Thanks to 2G network)

Later, some girls started spreading rumors about me, and soon, it spread throughout the class.

During these three years, I kept thinking about how to integrate into the group. Many said to maintain independence, but I ask: have you tried?

To fit in, I could only go along with jokes, becoming the subject of jokes myself (so much so that later, my name became a joke).

Even now, I still don't know how to truly integrate.

Studying

As a recruited student, my grades weren't bad. At least I could stay above the A- line. What does this mean? (๑•̌.•̑๑)ˀ̣ˀ̣

Attending Nanshan was definitely doable (the older generation often said: Grandma, I want to attend Nanshan without the three tricks, no way to get into Nanshan)

At that time, I didn't think I could get into Mianyang High School, so until the second year of middle school, my goal was always Nanshan.

Then, at the end of the third year, the top three students in the class (including me) were invited by Nanshan for a free visit, hinting us not to apply to Mianyang High School.

Later, Mianyang High School called my parents to invite me to visit on the weekend (it was called a visit, but it was really brainwashing + free meal). Honestly, the food at Mianyang High School was really good 😅

Under the bombardment of Mianyang High School, I listed it as my first choice (before the network was cut, Nanshan said if I passed, I could get free tuition, but I didn't lack that thousand-plus yuan, so I finally chose Mianyang High School)

As for the final result, I naturally got admitted.

Here’s what the admission notice looks like:

You wouldn't believe it, but it looks pretty good

Campus Tour

In early June, the school held a campus tour event. Mainly to earn tickets and exchange them for food. I only remember having a lot of fun that day, but the post-event desolation was even more unforgettable.

Three years of middle school, busy and exhausting, ending with just a ticket.

Unbreakable but tangled, it’s part of parting sorrow, a unique taste lingering in my heart.

Conclusion

Three years of middle school, twelve springs and autumns, 1015 days and nights, all ended abruptly in the blink of an eye.

Honestly, my middle school experience was unqualified because I didn't grow much.

But in terms of grades, my middle school was successful because I smoothly entered the highest-level high school in Mianyang—Sichuan Mianyang High School.

In the past, I eagerly looked forward to the entrance exam because it meant a summer without homework. But now, I feel an emptiness inside. After much thought, I decided to write this article as a summary of this imperfect middle school.

Burning coral and baking pancakes, this article is finished at dawn on June 25, 2024.