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It’s that time of year again. My birthday. I really don’t want to write about this one, since it feels quite personal. But sometimes, I think it’s good to jot down some ideas about being 14.

When people turn 13, they are stepping over an enormous milestone. However, age 14 is a step in the direction of choosing. At this time, courses are opening up. We are presented with many choices of courses to choose from. The fact that we don’t need much guidance on basics allows us to be in control of many more things. Although it sounds fine and dandy, we still have consequences. I’ve already made some terrible choices, like procrastinating on multiple projects, but it has yet to bite me in the back. Yet.

So I guess that it would be the top item on my list at this moment.

Age 14 also presents the start of high school. Of course, being North Penn School District, we are technically having our freshman year at the middle school, so it strictly limits many courses. Already, an enormous decision of dropping some favorable courses has arisen because of the odd time schedules. I have to possibly give up the jazz band, which would suck. But nowadays, one doesn’t get to decide what can be chosen and what can’t.

The beneficiary is an AP course in high school. In other words, one can have the opportunity for higher credits than others, which gives a major advantage in the class ranking system. Not only that but getting an AP course out of the way now means another course later. Obviously, the more credits gained in high school, the higher your chances of acceptance at any college. Sounds better than it is because I don’t wish to live on the border between two grades and even two schools. Sustaining friendships is quite difficult, and I do not really want to shorten time with old friends. However, this opportunity allows more variety and difference among kids in my grade. And according to all adults, the difference is better.

So I guess I’m 14 now? Well, technically I have more than three days to go. When it comes, to the clock ticking past 4 o’clock in the morning, then what? Will I feel older? Wiser? Probably neither. All I know is that I have another year ahead until I’m 15, then 16, and so on.

It’s quite repetitive if you ask me. Birthday after birthday, someday I’ll reach an age where people have to add a third digit. There is so much time left to use. And even more to do. At age 14, I have really yet to accomplish anything noticeable. I hope that it changes in the near future.

【红霞译文】

又到了一年一度的特殊时刻──生日，因为牵涉到私人空间，我不想在这里触及这方面话题，但借此机会谈点有关十四岁的感想未尝不可。

13岁可谓人生重要的里程碑，而14岁恰好处在放眼未来的交道口上，此时学校开设的科目广泛，大家皆可尽其所能挑选学习课程，我们不再依靠外界指导干该干的事情，乍听起来虽说妙不可言，但凡事都有后果。我已经有过前车之鉴，比如拖延完成附加课业的时间，幸亏并未影响到整体成绩，还好啦。

因此，时下当务之急就是要解决这个问题。

14岁也意味着高中的开始，当然北宾州学区高一新生实际上仍在初中本校就读，这就大大限制了选课机会，因为时间冲突，你不得不忍痛割爱，放弃一些自己喜欢的课程，我可能要把爵士乐队搁置一旁，实在舍不得，但到目前为止学生还不能决定选什么课。

进入高中意味着可以选择大学预修课程，由此说来，上大学预修课程的学生比不上的得分要高，主要有利于年级排名；除此而外，现在及早着手大学预修课程，今后可以进一步选择其它东西。显然，高中成绩越好对申请大学越有益。说归说，我真不想因此而被高初中两个年级甚至两所学校边缘化，这样对维系同学之间的友情相当困难，也不愿缩短与老朋友接触时间，然而高中更倾向开拓视野培养志向，也就是所有家长认同的优化特长。

那么现在我该是14岁的青少年喽？准确地说还差三天多，直到那一天凌晨四点钟钟声响起。接下来如何呢？我觉得长大了？明智多了？大概不完全是，我明白离15岁仅有一年之遥，再往后就是16岁，等等。

要我说年复一年，生日之后接着还有生日，等过到一定岁数又赘上第三位数字，总之未来将有大部头时间去追求梦想实现抱负。不过在14岁来临之际，我确实没干过什么了不起的事情，但愿不久的将来能有改观。

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2017年第五十一届超级碗美式橄榄球联盟总决赛(2017 Super Bowl LI)

2015: Spring Festival @ Eastern Dragon(龙城春宴)

2012: 旅美学者罗光平教授赠书仪式(Book Donation Ceremony)

2011: 生日聚会清单(B-D Party List)

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