mmm.

They are over. The midterms are done with. The grades are in. I have time to sit, to reflect, and to simply do nothing, let the mind wander.

I'm thrilled with one. Happy with one. Oh-so-slightly disappointed with two. And still left waiting for the sole grade remaining. I expect it to be solid.

And now, with all the time I have to reflect, I shall.

The tests were meant as a tool, both for us and for the teachers. We were promised that discrepancies between teachers and classes and other factors beyond our control would not be allowed to hurt us. The teachers complained, the administration cackled behind closed doors, and those caught in the middle resigned themselves to sarcasm.

As students, we had no choice. Realistically, there was no other way to do it. But the idealist that sits inside my head protests. A vote! she cries. Democracy! The realism takes over though, and I have almost--but not completely--convinced myself that these tests did have some value to them.

Cumulative knowledge is good. Long-term memory is good. It wasn't the tests themselves that bothered me, it was the indignity of the way they were administered.

But for now, I'm just trying to actually learn the material covered in class, rather than shoving facts into my brain for ten seconds.

At least, I can try to relax.

What is this blog?

I know, I know. A blog is like a journal, but instead of being private in a notebook, it's public and paperless. But what I really want to know is what this blog is going to become. Will I find that I enjoy writing about what happens to me? Or will this blog become more abstract, a place where I can share my thoughts and opinions? Will this blog even exist in a few years? Who knows? Not me, certainly. I plan on writing about things that interest me, things that happen to me, and things that I think about.

The question now becomes who I am. That, at least, I can answer relatively easily. I am a teenager living in Northern New Jersey. I attend a public magnet school in an engineering program. My favorite subject in school is history, and I hope to become a lawyer when I grow up. I like theater a lot. I used to act, but now I only do stage crew. I've found that I enjoy it more than performing.

I have a thirteen-year-old sister, a mother, and a father. My mom works, and my dad stays at home to keep an eyes on my sister and me. I am on my school's JV tennis team, and I play first doubles.

I think that I've provided a fair amount of information. At least, enough information that you, the readers who probably don't exist yet, will be able to understand my perspective.

I am going to resist the urge to put up my first real post until tomorrow. Maybe somebody will find this blog and decide it's interesting between now and then.