The middle school years bring with them more academic and social responsibility, which can be challenging or scary at times. Let’s not let all these changes stop you from having a great middle school experience
The Social Scene
You might worry that you won’t fit in or make many friends as you try to figure out who you are. Feeling anxious about new social situations and friendships is totally normal, so you’re not alone. You can have an awesome middle school experience if you follow these tips to find loyal, fun friends.
Go on an Introduction Tour
You make new friends by being open and friendly to students you’ve never met before, even if you’re comfortable hanging out with your friends. Introduce yourself to new people often and smile often. Other kids will be more open to meeting you if you look and seem approachable.
Try starting a conversation with a simple question about your classes or a compliment about their style. Introduce your new friends to your old friends once you’ve met some new kids.
Keep Your Old Friends Close
Don’t get so caught up in new friendships that you forget about your old ones. You’ve known these kids for a long time, and you’re friends for a reason. You can grow your social circle by introducing new friends to old friends and maintaining both types of friendships. Keep something simple and matching on you all day, like wearing the same color bracelet or using the same pens.
You should always grab extra pens whenever one of you finds a new cool pen that you need to use, and when your friend walks by, slip them into her supplies.
Hobby Up
Almost anything you’re interested in can be found at middle schools as extracurricular activities. Getting involved in a club, sport, or activity after school can help you meet new friends and get to know more kids. Middle school groups can also be fun and help you adjust to your new environment.
Let Your Happy Self Shine
Keeping a positive attitude, including body language and facial expressions, will make you more approachable to other students. Start a conversation if someone you don’t know introduces themselves.
Ask someone who shares your interest to join a club you like or invite someone who is alone to join you for lunch. If you don’t become friends, what’s the worst that can happen? There will be times when you won’t be friends with everyone you meet.
Find Your Niche
You might have more class choices in middle school, which means you can choose a few classes you enjoy. Band, choir, and orchestra classes, for instance, are available if you enjoy music. Taking an art class is a great idea if you like drawing.
Take a shop class if you enjoy building things. Since you will not be bored in class and will be doing something you are good at, this confidence boost can help you through the day.
Love You
It is best to be yourself when making friends. Show people who you really are by letting your personality shine through instead of acting or dressing in a manner you think will impress them. Then you’ll know if your new friends are actually interested in being around you. Leave notes inside your closet or dresser drawers to build your self-confidence.
Each day, write one great thing about yourself on a sticky note and keep it in a secret place. You’ll soon have lots of reminders of how great you are, and your confidence will soar.
Surviving Academia
Classes in middle school are more difficult and require more homework than those in elementary school. These tips will help you succeed academically and stay on top of your classes.
Be Heard
You and others will gain a better understanding of the concepts if you participate even if it feels uncomfortable. When you need clarification from the teacher, raise your hand and ask questions. Participate in games and discussions. It will be easier to get your homework done quickly and maintain good grades if you understand what has been taught.
Track how many times you and your friends speak up in class in a friendly competition. Each of you can keep a little note with tally marks, then compare your scores at the end of the day to come up with an average. Imagine a fun prize the “losers” can give the winner, such as carrying their books the next day or buying them a treat at lunch.
Get Secretarial
The best way to remember what you’ve learned is to take notes. Additionally, it helps you focus your attention during class so you don’t drift off into a daydream. Class notes can be used to speed up homework time or to help you study for tests and major projects. Make note taking faster and more fun by creating shorthand, such as using emojis for common terms or using the first letter of each syllable instead of writing out long words.
Give Homework Top Priority
The main job in your life right now is to be a student, even if you are involved in sports or other activities. Do your homework every day in an area where you won’t be distracted. You won’t have to dread homework when you set yourself up for success.
Study Hard
Identify the study style that works best for you and make it a habit. Study with flashcards, join a study group, or read over your notes daily so the information can sink in. By creating a group chat and taking turns posting questions, you can turn study groups into a fun text or instant message challenge.
Winner gets a social media plug from the others if they answer first with the right answer. Do not stress over tests because they don’t necessarily make or break your future because they help teachers and parents see if you are learning what’s being taught.
It Takes a Village
Don’t wait until you’re so far behind that catching up seems impossible if you’re struggling with any part of a class. If you need help, there are many places you can turn to. Ask your teacher questions in class, talk to your friends after class, or ask your parents if they can arrange a private tutoring session. A reliable online source can help you with your homework, but you might want to look for local help first.
Keeping It All Together
As you take on new classes, work more, participate in extracurricular activities, and take care of your social life, you’re more responsible than ever. Organize yourself and stay organized throughout the year, and life won’t seem so overwhelming.
Put Notes in Their Place
Each class’s notes should be kept separate from other classes by using a different color spiral notebook or a large binder with dividers. Make sure you keep all your notes and assignments in a matching folder for each class so you can review them before tests if you’re using spiral notebooks.
If you are in a crowded hallway, stretch an elastic headband vertically and a horizontally over the middle of your notebook or binder to prevent spills. By doing this, nothing will spill out and slide down the hall if you fall.
Plan Ahead
A school may provide you with an academic planner to help you stay organized. You can find them at most stores, sometimes called an agenda, if yours doesn’t. Make one by printing calendar pages by the day, week, or month and stapling them inside a fun folder.
Use your smartphone’s virtual calendar to keep track of your entire schedule. In one place, you can include homework assignments, tests, due dates for projects, games, ceremonies, and social activities. You’ll have less stress and more time for fun when you have it all figured out.
Prepare Yourself
Prepare for class by bringing all the supplies you will need. Extra supplies can be stored on one shelf of your locker or in a compartment of your backpack. Once you run out, transfer a few pens, pencils, and erasers to your binder so you won’t be caught unprepared. You can always find what you need in your favorite teacher’s classroom if you ask him or her to stash some of your extra supplies.
Keep It Clean
As the time between classes is short, keeping your locker clean helps you find what you need quickly and get to class on time. Keep your class materials in one place, and put them back there every time. Buy locker shelves and organizational containers to keep everything organized.
To organize your supplies for each class, hang drawstring bags inside your locker. You should keep each class’s book, notebook, and pens in a separate bag. When it’s time to switch classes, you can grab the bag you need and hang up the one you used for your last class when it’s time to switch classes.
Challenge Time
There are lots of fun things about middle school, but there are also many new and complicated feelings that come along with it. With these helpful tips, you can stay on top of your challenges.
Beat Bullying
School can be a real drag when you’re bullied. Keep in mind that there are ways to stop bullying or make your days more bearable if you are being bullied. When you are bullied, talk to your counselor, parents, and teachers for advice. Check with your friends to see if they can help you.
Chasing Crushes
There’s a good chance you’ve noticed who’s cute in your school. Feelings like these are perfectly normal. Remember to keep an open mind when it comes to crushes, friendships, and relationships in middle school. Although rejection feels awful at the moment, you can move on from these feelings especially if you have a very active social life.
Don’t take things too personally if a boyfriend or girlfriend scenario doesn’t work out for you in middle school, although they sometimes do.
Don’t Be a Lemming
It is possible that you will hear about other kids drinking, smoking, taking drugs, or engaging in other risky behaviors as you gain more independence. You may even be asked to participate by some of your friends.
Think twice before agreeing to something that makes you uncomfortable because giving in to peer pressure can affect the rest of your life. Stand your ground and try to convince friends to follow your lead if they are pressuring you to do something you know is wrong.
Embrace the Change
When your body grows and develops, you may feel self-conscious, but remember that everyone else is going through the same thing. Paying attention to personal hygiene by showering regularly, wearing clean clothes, and using deodorant can help make these changes less embarrassing.
Whenever you have concerns about your body, speak to your close friends or a trusted adult, and remember that your uniqueness is what makes you unique.
Locker Room Etiquette
It may be your first time regularly undressing in front of other kids your age, so you may feel a bit uncomfortable. There are probably many other kids feeling just like you do and probably aren’t even paying attention to you because they are so concerned about how they feel.
If you are very uncomfortable, you may want to change in a closed bathroom stall or learn to keep a towel on while you dress and undress. Keep cleansing wipes, deodorant, and dry shampoo in your locker if you can’t face the showers.
Surviving and Thriving in Middle School
Make the most of middle school and junior high school, regardless of the challenges you face academically or socially. Don’t let middle school just be a place where you survive, but a place where you thrive.