In Fried's second chapter of The Game of School, the main idea he conveys is that once students are given labels in middle school, they move onto high school where they compete against each other for college opportunities, stopping at nothing to get to the top; with the arrival of college, they start spending time partying instead of retaining what they learn. First, in middle school, the two main things students do are aiming to get to the top of their classes as well as the social hierarchy. The article states that "Both demand conformity and obedience, as kids try to push ahead of others to land in that top group, academically or socially, as they minimize their individuality in order to fit in." This means that students adhere to invisible
