5 Ways To Prepare Yourself For Middle School

A good rule of thumb is to buy clothing you know fits your style, regardless of how others may feel about your purchase choice. Don’t let others tell you what you have to wear (unless it’s your parents disapproving of something).

Review multiplying and dividing fractions, graphing lines on coordinate planes, finding the slope of a line, finding the volume of triangular prisms and cylinders, finding the area and circumference of a circle, solving exponents with no variables, drawing different graphs (bar graphs, pie charts, histograms, line graphs), and other things you have learned in math. ELA curriculum differs. Just read a lot of books during the summer, since your homework will increase quite a bit this year. You may have homework for every subject (math/maths, language arts, science, history/social studies) instead of just main subjects like math/maths and language arts. For science, review things like easy chemical equations, a few elements on the periodic table, different types of plants, classification of animals, photosynthesis, etc. If you have computer science class, refresh your text coding and block coding skills. Many schools teach Python or JavaScript as a first text coding language, so be sure to read up on online tutorials for that.

So, you should prepare for this by locating your classrooms, where the gym room is, and where the bathrooms are. You will be assigned a locker a few days before school starts or on the first day, so don’t worry if you don’t know how to open a locker! The people in your grade probably don’t know either, and you can always ask older students or a teacher for help. Some schools in the UK have lockers, while others don’t. If your school doesn’t have lockers, you may need to bring your bag back and forth for each class, or you may store items in a cloakroom (this term can also mean a lavatory/washroom/bathroom in the UK, but in this context it means a place to store items).

Deal with acne. Acne like pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads are embarrassing for some tweens. Don’t worry- just wash your face twice a day (before and after school) and apply pimple cream on. Hydrocortisone cream, Salicylic acid or glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or a sulfur-based cream are good creams to remove pimples. Cope with developing breasts as a kid or tween. If you have the signs of developing breasts, your chest may feel tender and hard. This is to be expected, to wear a comfortable training bra. Buy from brands like Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and Maidenform for training bras. Deal with a period in middle/secondary school. Periods at the ages of 11-12 are normal. In fact, that’s the average age of menstruation in females! Be sure to use break times wisely to change your tampon/pad every 2-4 hours. Deal with erections. Males might worry about erections. They are very noticeable through your pants/trousers! Erections happen when your penis’s tissue is engorged with blood. [5] X Research source This makes your penis hard, stiff, and uncomfortable. This can happen if you’re thinking of romantic thoughts, but it can happen any time. Hide your erection by covering it with a bag, think of unromantic things, or pinch yourself to distract yourself using the pain.

Get used to quickly bringing your textbooks and school supplies from classroom to classroom. If you need to bring your bag back and forth, take all of your textbooks and stationery, put it in your bag, take your bag, and walk to your next class. If you use a locker, get to your locker, open it, take the items for the next class out, put in unneeded items, and go to your next class. Know how to open your locker. Choose an elective. An elective is similar to a club that you may have joined in elementary school. Electives also take the place of required courses. Clubs happen after school, and not during the day as opposed to electives. [6] X Research source [7] X Research source Get to know your different teachers. In elementary/primary school, you probably had 1 or 2 teachers that taught every subject. Now, you will have different teachers that specialize in each subject. Participate in every teacher’s class for the teacher to notice you and give you a good participation grade. If you’re applying to a private high school (for people in the U. S. ), some of the teachers might notice you and write a good recommendation for you when you get to 8th grade.

If your teacher allows you to wear gym clothes to school, you won’t need to change. Just make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothing (a sweatshirt/T-shirt, shorts/sweatpants) to school. If you have a gym uniform, wear that to school. If you need to change during gym class, face the wall. You don’t want to catch others staring at you (and if they are, just ignore them) or yourself staring at others. It minimizes the awkwardness. If you’re really shy or are menstruating, go into a bathroom stall to change. This helps if you need to change both your menstrual products and your gym clothes. If you are on your period, be sure to pack enough hygiene products in your gym bag. Pack a few tampons, pads, extra pairs of underwear, and wet wipes. If you don’t want anyone to see your feminine products, change in a bathroom. There are enough bathrooms for people to use, so you won’t be hogging up the bathroom if you use it for just a few minutes. If you are afraid of getting another inconvenient erection in the changing room, count down from 50 to 1 or 100 to 1. Think of non-romantic things, like the test that’s due or what you’re going to do when you get home. Don’t compare your bodies in the changing room. During puberty, some tweens like comparing their bodies in the changing room. Some people may want to look “handsome”, “attractive”, “kawaii” or “beautiful”. Don’t do this. Not only is this unnatural, it is also not good for your self-esteem.

In math, you may want to review measures of angles, classifying triangles, PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction) or BODMAS/BIMDAS (Brackets, Orders/Indices, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction), transformations of shapes on a coordinate plane, etc. If your school teaches harder curriculum (especially if it’s a private school), you can review pre-algebra and easy algebraic equations to solve. For language arts, practice writing short stories and more refined essays. You should also research Latin and Greek roots in words, since this is a common theme in 6th grade/Year 7 ELA curriculum. For example, jur- is a Latin root that means relating to law. “Jurisdiction”, “judge”, and “jury” have “jur” and “jud” roots. [8] X Research source Chron- is a Greek root meaning “time”. “Chronological”, “chronology” [9] X Research source In writing, you should practice using direct and indirect objects, gerunds, participles, and other things you are learning in 6th grade/Year 7. Read books like Esperanza Rising, A Wrinkle in Time, The Hobbit, A Tale of Two Cities, and Allies for school reading list books. Your school may read some of these books, so take notes on the characters, theme, and plot of the story. Some schools with advanced curriculum may read Shakespeare (with a simplified version and an original text version) like Julius Caesar. Make sure to read online summaries to summarize the book and to take clear notes on the characters, plot, and themes of the novel. [10] X Research source In science, get used to learning about biology and a bit of physics. Some schools teach 6th graders a little chemistry, so be prepared for that. Review and study cell functions, the parts of a cell, the human body, animal classification, kinetic and potential energy, ocean currents, water movement, and other types of science you might be learning about. [11] X Research source In history, you might learn about world history. Review and study your notes on topics such as the Industrial Revolution, Ellis Island, immigration, the Enlightenment, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and other topics. If you have computer science class, review your programming knowledge. You might need to use binary code for more advanced classes, so touch up on that if you need to.

Deal with bullying. Being bullied is scary and never fun, so you’ll need to report the person bullying you to a teacher. Deal with peer pressure. Peer pressure is when people around you pressure you to do something. Don’t listen to bad peer pressure. Don’t listen to anyone that tells you to do unethical or illegal things like bullying others, taking drugs, gambling, stealing something, vandalizing property, etc. You should tell a trusted adult about this immediately if they tell you to do illegal activities. Deal with gossip. Gossiping is when someone tells untrue things about another person. This is harmful, and you should ignore people who gossip. If someone gossips about you, ignore them or tell a trusted adult at school. You shouldn’t gossip about others too, since it is mean and harmful to spread untrue rumors that can harm a person’s reputation.

Shave your hair. During puberty, hair will grow on your armpits, chest if you’re a male, your private parts, legs, face, and sometimes your back. Learn how to shave your armpit hair, leg hair,pubic hair, your facial hair, and shave your back if you have hair in these areas. If you’re in puberty, wash every day instead of every other day if you didn’t yet, since your body will produce more oil because of the hormones. Remember to wash your genitals with clean water. Brush your teeth after every meal you eat. If you have braces, check this article for information on how to take care of your braces at school. Wash your hands with soap and water every time you go to the bathroom. During times like the coronavirus pandemic, this is especially important. You should also wash your hands before you eat something, like a snack or lunch. Use hand sanitizer to freshen up if there isn’t a sink nearby.

Pencils (both wooden or mechanical pencils are fine) Pens Highlighters (useful for taking notes) Erasers (scented erasers, plain pink or white erasers, puzzle erasers, or electric erasers are commonly used) Some extra colored pencils Some extra crayons A pair of scissors A glue stick A ruler A protractor (to measure angles with) A compass (to draw circles) A pencil case to put the stationery in Plain white paper (for projects or drawing) A graph paper notebook or individual sheets of graph paper (for math when drawing on coordinate planes) At least 3 notebooks (depends on how many subjects are taught) A planner (to keep track of assignments, tests, and due dates) Some folders for classwork and homework School books (depends on the school, so check your supply list to make sure!) A binder (to put papers into) A large backpack (a rolling backpack or a regular one can be fine) Headphones or earbuds (for computer usage) A reusable water bottle to prevent yourself from getting dehydrated Any medication you may need, like an asthma inhaler, diabetes medication and pumps, ADHD medication, an EpiPen for allergic reactions, etc. Period supplies (a few tampons, pads, extra underwear, wet wipes, period pain medication for cramps) A pack of small tissues (in case you need to wipe their hands, face, or nose) A small bottle of hand sanitizer (especially important during the coronavirus pandemic)

During each class, your teachers will probably explain the classroom conduct, office hours (when the teacher is available; usually for students to ask questions), what you will be learning about, and how to contact them. Be sure to introduce yourself. Say basic information like your name, your age, your family, and what you did during the summer. If your teacher asks you to write a paragraph (or a few paragraphs) about you, you should make it more detailed. Write what hobbies you enjoy doing, which school you went to during elementary/primary school, and what clubs you joined during your previous school. Try to make friends. Sit next to a person that is alone, or say hi to everyone during break or after school. Later, the school will probably allow students to sign up for clubs, so you can meet people with the same interests as you.

For math, review measures of angles, classifying triangles, PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction) or BODMAS/BIMDAS (Brackets, Orders/Indices, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction), exponents and square roots, translations, rotations, and reflections of shapes on a coordinate plane, etc. If your school teaches harder curriculum (especially if it’s a private school), you can review pre-algebra and easy algebraic equations to solve (e. g. 2x + 5 = 13). For language arts, review parts of speech like transitive and intransitive pronouns, diagramming sentences, passive and active voice, etc. You should also read a few poems if you’re studying poetry at school. Find out the meter and tone of the poem, and what rhythm (e. g. A B A B) the poem has. You may need to do more research papers in the following years, so go online and see how to write a research paper for more information. For science, review different types of plants, a plant’s structure, cells, parts of a cell, kinetic and potential energy, the human body, and other concepts you may have learned in 6th grade/Year 7. For history, review topics like the Industrial Revolution, the Enlightenment, the French and American revolutions, and Ellis Island. For computer science, review your text coding skills. Many schools teach students Python or JavaScript since they are easier programming languages to comprehend.

In math, review how to solve proportions, solve linear equations, find the x and y intercepts of an equation, drawing box-and-whisker plots, drawing histograms, etc. Some schools (like competitive private schools [13] X Research source ) teach algebra in 7th grade. So, practice graphing parabolas, solving quadratic equations, and solving a system of equations with two variables. For language arts, focus on genres of literature, poetry, writing a research report or a persuasive essay, comparing and contrasting, and other components. [14] X Research source Read books like The Diary of a Young Girl, Tuck Everlasting, Restart, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Call of the Wild, Bridge to Terabithia, and The Outsiders if you have free time. If your school is reading some of these books, review the plot, the main characters, and the theme of the novel. Make sure to read online summaries to summarize the book and to take clear notes on the characters, plot, and themes of the novel. [15] X Research source For science, touch up on genetics, evolution, the human body, animal classification (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species), kinetic and potential energy, elements in the periodic table, etc. [16] X Research source For history, review and study the American and French revolutions, imperialism, medieval England, William the Conqueror/the founding of England, the Haitian revolution, or Ancient China. For computer science, you may want to touch up on binary code and practice coding simple text games. Use functions, print statements, if statements, and other pieces of code.

Middle schools offer a lot of electives- some include journalism, Spanish, engineering, speech and debate, visual arts, performing arts, graphic arts, orchestra, and craft electives.

Deal with bullying. The bully might physically or emotionally hurt you (making fun of you, calling you mean nicknames, saying untrue things about you/gossiping). Being bullied is scary and never fun, so you’ll need to report the person bullying you to a teacher. Deal with negative peer pressure. Don’t listen to anyone that tells you to do unethical or illegal things like bullying others, taking drugs, gambling, stealing something, vandalizing property, etc. You should tell a trusted adult about this immediately if they tell you to do illegal activities. Deal with gossip. Gossiping is when someone tells untrue things about another person. This is harmful, and you should ignore people who gossip during breaks and lunch. If someone gossips about you, ignore them or tell a trusted adult at school. You shouldn’t gossip about others too, since it is mean and harmful to spread untrue rumors that can harm a person’s reputation.

Shave your hair. During puberty, hair will grow on your armpits, chest if you’re a male, your private parts, legs, face, and sometimes your back. Learn how to shave your armpit hair, leg hair,pubic hair, your facial hair, and shave your back if you have hair in these areas. If you’re in puberty, wash every day instead of every other day if you didn’t yet, since your body will produce more oil because of the hormones. Brush your teeth after every meal you eat. If you have braces, check this article for information on how to take care of your braces at school. Wash your hands with soap and water every time you go to the bathroom. During times like the coronavirus pandemic, this is especially important. You should also wash your hands before you eat something, like a snack or lunch. Use hand sanitizer to freshen up if there isn’t a sink nearby.

For math, review on solve proportions, solve linear equations, find the x and y intercepts of an equation, drawing box-and-whisker plots, drawing histograms, etc. Some schools (like competitive private schools [19] X Research source ) teach algebra in 7th grade. So, practice graphing parabolas, solving quadratic equations, and solving a system of equations with two variables. For language arts, keep analyzing poetry, news articles, and other passages of text for bias. You should also practice citing sources in MLA or APA format if you haven’t yet. For science, touch up on heredity, evolution, fossils, chemical reactions, the periodic table, animal classification (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species), or other topics you may have learned about in grade 7. For history, review ancient civilizations, famous revolutions (the American, French, Haitian, etc. ), medieval life/The Middle Ages, imperialism, the Industrial Revolution, world history, your country’s history, or other topics you’ve learned about. For computer science, continue with coding text games and adventures. Use if-statements and practice creating functions.

In math, practice graphing parabolas, solving quadratic equations, and solving a system of equations with two variables. Many schools start teaching algebra in 8th grade, and some teach pre-algebra, so you can combine those together to study. If your school has an advanced maths curriculum, you may need to get used to geometry. Remember important triangle theorems (like Angle-Side-Angle, Side-Angle-Side) of congruence, how to calculate interior angles, transformations on a coordinate plane, important postulates, how to draw angle bisectors using a compass, and other important points in geometry. For language arts, review more Latin and Greek roots. Some schools let their students read Fahrenheit 451 and other books with complex themes in them to analyze. Make sure to read books like The Outsiders, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Lord of the Flies. Those are good 8th grade/Year 9 reads since they are books with depth and complexity in them. Make sure to read online summaries to summarize the book and to take clear notes on the characters, plot, and themes of the novel. For science, many schools teach some physics, biology, and chemistry. So, practice using Newton’s laws of motion, kinetic and potential energy, friction, animal classification, animal behavior, evolution, solving chemical equations, using the periodic table of elements, etc. For history, focus on your country’s history or world history. Some American schools learn about 19th century America, with Reconstruction and the Civil War. Others may teach 18th century history up until World War II and the Cold War.

Middle schools offer a lot of electives- some include journalism, Spanish, engineering, speech and debate, visual arts, performing arts, graphic arts, orchestra, and craft electives.

Shave your hair. During puberty, hair will grow on your armpits, chest if you’re a male, your private parts, legs, face, and sometimes your back. Learn how to shave your armpit hair, leg hair,pubic hair, your facial hair, and shave your back if you have hair in these areas. You should consider showering more, especially if you have a tight schedule. Wash every day instead of every other day if you didn’t yet, since your body will produce more oil because of the hormones. Remember to wash your genitals with clean water. Brush your teeth after every meal you eat. If you have braces, check this article for information on how to take care of your braces at school. Wash your hands with soap and water every time you go to the bathroom. During times like the coronavirus pandemic, this is especially important. You should also wash your hands before you eat something, like a snack or lunch. Use hand sanitizer to freshen up if there isn’t a sink nearby.

Some schools let their students wear a pretend hat and gown, like high school or college graduation. Wear this to the graduation ceremony. You should also wash yourself with nice-smelling soap the day before. You can also try out a cool hairstyle if you want. It’s ok to cry before or after the ceremony. After all, your best friends might be going to different schools than you, and the teachers that have known you for so long won’t be with you anymore. Cry it all out, and hug your friends if they can’t contact you and are going to different schools. Sign your classmates’ yearbooks. Sign all of your classmates’ yearbooks, even the ones you’re not familiar with or are mean. Be proud of yourself that you’ve made it this far! You’ve probably done your best in school, learned from your 8-year experience at school, and made a lot of good friends! Even if there were bullies at your school, be proud of yourself that you knew how to deal with them. Your caretakers and relatives are probably going to be very happy about your middle school graduation.