--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: transient, adj. In school, the year was…" description: "\"“transient, adj. In school, the year was the marker. Fifth grade. Senior year of high school. Sophomore year of college. Then after, the jobs were the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/david-levithan-67_fifth-grade_transient-adj-in-school-the-year-was-the_3113764.jpg" --- # transient, adj. In school, the year was the marker. Fifth… ![“transient, adj. In school, the year was the marker. Fifth grade. Senior year of high school. Sophomore year of college. Then after, the jobs were the marker. That office, this desk. But now that school is over and I've been working at the same desk for longer than I can truly believe, I realize…” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/david-levithan-67_fifth-grade_transient-adj-in-school-the-year-was-the_3113764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/david-levithan-67_fifth-grade_transient-adj-in-school-the-year-was-the_3113764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/david-levithan-67_fifth-grade_transient-adj-in-school-the-year-was-the_3113764.jpg) > ““transient, adj. In school, the year was the marker. Fifth grade. Senior year of high school. Sophomore year of college. Then after, the jobs were the marker. That office, this desk. But now that school is over and I've been working at the same desk for longer than I can truly believe, I realize: You have become the marker. This is your era. And it's only if it goes on and on that I will have to look for other ways to identify the time.”” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s markers change over time; we become the reference point for our era, shaping identity through work and routine. **In simple terms:** We define our age by what we do, not just by school years. Key Takeaway Recognize how daily habits shape personal identity. Themes identity time routine Mood contemplative motivational Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - career planning - personal growth - habit formation - life coaching Key Concepts psychology sociology Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate self-worth from job role? - What markers will you create beyond work? A Different Perspective Relying on work as identity can cause stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fifth grade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifth-grade/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Marker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marker-523732/) [Marker Era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marker-era-1911499/) [Senior year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senior-year/) [Sophomore year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sophomore-year/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time passing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-passing/) [Transient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transient/) [Transient Adj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transient-adj-5444971/) [Year Marker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-marker-1911498/) ## Related quotes > [In school, the year was the marker. Fifth grade. Senior year of high school. Sophomore year of college. Then after, the jobs were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/in-school-the-year-was-the-marker-fifth-grade-senior-year-of-high/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I want to trace my father, could you suggest a good marker pen?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/i-want-to-trace-my-father-could-you-suggest-a-good-marker-pen/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [“A marker drawn to show our end, is etched into its line. The briefest moment shared with you—the longest on my mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lang-leav/a-marker-drawn-to-show-our-end-is-etched-into-its-line-the-briefest/) [Lang Leav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lang-leav/) > [Money is a marker to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haim-saban/money-is-a-marker-to-success/) [Haim Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haim-saban/) > [“Your environment should be your time marker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/your-environment-should-be-your-time-marker/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“The true marker of learning is turning up with more questions than answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-lee/the-true-marker-of-learning-is-turning-up-with-more-questions-than/) [Kristen Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-lee/) > [I'm a good marker, and I have a nice, long pass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-alderweireld/i-m-a-good-marker-and-i-have-a-nice-long-pass/) [Toby Alderweireld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-alderweireld/) > [ I think I get in trouble sometimes, especially when it's like I need to be easier on \[my\] kids because maybe I'm a rule-follower… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-simons/i-think-i-get-in-trouble-sometimes-especially-when-it-s-like-i-need/) [Timothy Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-simons/) > [Sorry I haven't been on here in awhile guys. It just seemed so weird for a while. I love the lines it has on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-i-haven-t-been-on-here-in-awhile-guys-it-just-seemed-so-weird/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Self care is putting Your own name on your schedule In magic marker!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/self-care-is-putting-your-own-name-on-your-schedule-in-magic-marker/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Eleven years old is not an early age to set your sight on the Olympics for a gymnast, because we normally peak in high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-dawes/eleven-years-old-is-not-an-early-age-to-set-your-sight-on-the/) [Dominique Dawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-dawes/) > [I majored in extracurriculars, honestly. I joined the Harvard Stand Up Comedy Society, which is a ragtag band of misfits. I wrote for 'On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/i-majored-in-extracurriculars-honestly-i-joined-the-harvard-stand-up/) [Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/) > [I learned hard lessons in life; I had to because I had so much happen: My mother died my sophomore year in high school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-learned-hard-lessons-in-life-i-had-to-because-i-had-so-much-happen/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [After college, I really looked at every single shot that I shot. Pretty much every shot in my sophomore year and my junior year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-kuzma/after-college-i-really-looked-at-every-single-shot-that-i-shot-pretty/) [Kyle Kuzma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-kuzma/) > [During the middle of sophomore year, my friends and I would get bored at lunch, so we would film videos on my computer webcam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chamberlain/during-the-middle-of-sophomore-year-my-friends-and-i-would-get-bored/) [Emma Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chamberlain/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. 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It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-robinson/matt-bonner-that-s-the-legend-right-there-i-was-in-fifth-grade-and/) [Duncan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-robinson/) > [I wrote a song at age five about algae on the pond by our house, then the next 'real' song was in fifth grade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-salpeter/i-wrote-a-song-at-age-five-about-algae-on-the-pond-by-our-house-then/) [Greta Salpeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-salpeter/) > [If you're prepared to invest in a company, then you ought to be able to explain why in simple language that a fifth grader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lynch/if-you-re-prepared-to-invest-in-a-company-then-you-ought-to-be-able/) [Peter Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lynch/) > [“ Learning from Incorrect Information The messages that society sends you are not always accurate. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-went-and-i-started-teaching-computers-to-young-kids-to-fifth/) [Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/) [Browse all 175 Fifth grade quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifth-grade/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“transient, adj. In school, the year was the marker. Fifth grade. Senior year of high school. Sophomore year of college. Then after, the jobs were the marker. That office, this desk. But now that school is over and I've been working at the same desk for longer than I can truly believe, I realize: You have become the marker. This is your era. 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