How to Survive Middle School
by Shante Hayes
Shante Hayes
If you are entering or currently in middle school there are a few things you should know. You’re only in middle school for three years and you want to make the most of it. Choosing good friends, showing respect, and doing your best in school will help you in the years to come. The following 10 tips will help you get through your middle school years a little easier.
1. Choose Good Friends. They say that your friends are a mirror image of you. It’s true! You are who your friends are. Be careful about the friends you choose because they can build you up or bring you down. Pick your friends and acquaintances wisely.
2. Never Listen or Participate in Gossip. So what really is gossip? The dictionary defines it as a casual or unsustained report about people or a gossiper is a person who likes to talk about another person’s personal life. Gossip is the one thing that can really break up relationships among friends. Don’t be known as a person who gossips. “But everyone is doing it,” people say. That doesn’t make it right. Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of gossiping. You want to be known for uplifting people and not bringing them down.
3. Use Proper Language Such as “Yes” and “No.” It’s important to speak in a respectful way to your teachers. Practicing good habits will prepare you to handle yourself in any situation.
4. Project Planning is Important. Middle school is a time where the work load increases. Learning to manage your time is something that you have to take with you throughout middle school, high school, college, and in life. Managing your time and avoiding procrastination will limit the occasions that you’re up late at night trying to finish projects.
5. Be On Time to Class. Many middle school students love to wait for their friends at the locker or in the hallway or even in the bathroom. Avoid being late at all costs. The beginning of class is when most teachers will tell you about your homework or the tasks for that class. Teachers give tests and quizzes at the beginning of the class period and you will want as much time as possible to finish. It’s okay to tell your friends that you have to go to class. It’s more important to be on time.
6. Be Prepared for More Homework. As the school year passes, so will the amount of homework that you get. Your homework will also get harder. Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher or parents for help. They’ll be glad to do whatever they can.
7. Class Preparation is Critical. There is nothing more distracting than not having your own pen or pencil. In the time that it takes to borrow one, you could have missed something really important in class. Take the time to make sure you have everything you need, even if you have to pack your things up the night before.
8. Avoid Cliques. A clique is usually a small group of people that hang out together and don’t usually allow others to join them. A big part of middle school is about doing well, but the other part is meeting new people. People who are in cliques typically do things and hang out with the same people all the time. You miss out getting to know different kinds of people. Be friendly and expand your circle of friends.
9. Don’t Let People Change You. You are going to meet people who are going to want to change who you are – your hair and even your personality. They may even want to change the way you talk. You have to be true to who you are.
10. Remember to Be Yourself! There’s only going to be one you and you have to accept that. You may be funny, kind, giving, always smiling; and only you could do it the way that you do. There is no one else on this great big earth like you. Accept the fact that you are special and unique. That’s the way the Creator made you, and He did it for a reason.
As you enter or continue with your middle school years remember these tips. Remember that you are special. Just be yourself. One more important thing: have fun!