By Carter Jarrell

Many are concerned in regards to entering middle school, as was I. It truly is a step up from elementary school in many aspects. From getting new teachers to finding your friend group, starting middle school can be challenging. This topic is exactly what I am going to talk about!

I interviewed three fellow 8th graders on what they thought was the hardest part of middle school, what to look forward to, a study hack they wish they knew sooner, what they would change about middle school if they could do it all over, and what their favorite part of middle school was. For the first question, Gabby said, “The hardest part was balancing the homework and after school activities. I think this was the hardest part because you are new to middle school and are just trying to figure out what works best for you while balancing school and homework.” Stella answered, “I think the hardest part was balancing all of the different homework assignments and extracurricular activities. I think this was the hardest because as a newcomer to middle school, you had to figure out how to manage all of your priorities and it can be tricky.” Lastly Avery replied, “ In my opinion the hardest part of each grade was adjusting to different teaching styles and balancing your work efficiently. Prior to middle school you typically only have 1-2 teachers and come sixth grade and beyond you have so many different ones that all require different things. Also, the balancing work aspect proved to be somewhat challenging at times while also dealing with extracurriculars such as sports and academic decathlon.”

The next question I asked was, what is something to look forward to when entering middle school? Gabby said, “Something to look forward to is the different styles of teaching and different classes. This is fun so you are not sitting in the same class all day. You get a chance to move around between classes and get different types of teaching styles.” Stella said, “Something to look forward to is new teaching styles and new content that you are going to be taught. I think the material that is taught in middle school is a lot more interesting and you have new teachers to teach you it.” Finally, Avery answered, “Middle school is a time when you can truly start expanding as a person. You can make mistakes and people will forget about it by the next day, so to any younger person going into middle school, don’t overthink it and ultimately just have fun!”

Next, I asked, “What is a study hack you wish you knew sooner?” Gabby replied, “ A study hack that works for me is just re-reading and rewriting all the things you are studying at night so you can sleep on it or do it with calming music in the back.” Stella answered, “A study hack that really works for me is really going over your content multiple times a night. Also playing brown noise or classical music helps me lock in and focus.” Then Avery suggested, “Repetition and rewriting your work has proven to be such a good study hack that I wish I knew when entering middle school. Seriously, just rewriting your history notes over again or your vocab list of words makes all the difference.” 

I then asked, “If you could do middle school all over again what would you change and why?” Gabby said, “ If I could redo middle school again, I would change caring less about how others think of me. Also just do what makes you happy and you will find middle school more enjoyable.” Stella answered, “ If I could redo it all, I would not be afraid to do what I want and be afraid and care what everyone thinks about me. I used to not enjoy it as much because I cared too much, but now once you really just be yourself it gets a lot more fun and enjoyable.” Lastly, Avery replied, “ Honestly I wouldn’t change anything because each failure or challenge has taught me a valuable lesson that I will forever learn from. In fact, I would not change a specific event but sometimes my mindframe in certain situations. For instance, I would recommend cherishing the memories you have and to just let the little things go, because as monumental as they seem now they really aren’t that deep.” 

The last question I asked was, “What has been your favorite part of middle school and why? Gabby said, “My favorite part of middle school was trying new things and making memories with my friends. Middle school is so much fun when you are hanging out with friends to make memories or trying new things with them. There are so many new experiences to try in middle school so just try everything to see what you do and don’t like.” Stella suggested, “My favorite part is really just experiencing new things and making more memories and friends. Middle school is so fun when you have great people to make jokes with and enjoy school with. I tried and did so many new things in middle school and the memories I made were the best part for me.” Then Avery replied, “My favorite part of middle school was definitely our seventh grade trip to Westminster Woods. The jokes we made there that we still laugh about today are forever imprinted in my mind, and the bonds we as a class created are so special, and ones that I will hold close to my heart for years to come.”

To conclude, this is just a few recommendations of fellow eighth graders, and a few things to look forward to. Have fun, and work hard!