I moved to a K-8 school in 6th grade, and even though everyone was new to the middle school experience, they all knew each other and I didn’t. My first piece of advice is to make sure you are doing well in your classes because that should be your #1 priority. I know how hard it is to make friends so just talk to people. My school assigns you a buddy to show you around so if your school does that too, become friends with them and have them introduce you to their friends. You could also make friends with other new kids because you all are new so you can help each other.
Lindsey N.
I’ve had a few disappointing grades in middle school. It’s best to know that it’s not the end of the world—just see what went wrong, what you may have been confused about, and use it as knowledge for next time. Of all the things you learn in middle school, learning from mistakes is probably the biggest one, so don’t let one grade stop you from achieving your goals, use it to your advantage! There are quite a few projects I’ve encountered in middle school that led to stress– from a speech, to a debate, to even PowerPoint presentations. If it’s a project you’re worried about, especially public speaking, just be sure to practice, make sure your project fits the rubric, and keep practicing until your stress is at a minimum. When you know the information by heart, it makes everything much less stressful. For anything else that leads to anxiety, however, just keep in mind that all you can do is your best. Try your hardest, and you will achieve—even if it takes a while to get there.
Sarah S.
Middle school is full of adventures. You meet new people and learn a bunch of things. I would say to start getting involved into extra-curricular activities whether it’s school sponsored or not. It helps you prepare for high school and college, and they are fun! I also recommend studying and looking back at old notes because it could really strike a light bulb. I have a full packed schedule, and sometimes, when I have time, I look at my notes for a quick 10 minutes, and it really boosts my scores. Most of my classmates actually don’t study, and it doesn’t surprise me that they don’t get the score that they want. I would also want to tell students who don’t study but score very well that in the future studying is still important.
Cindy S.
Feeling different as a gifted student has always been a challenge for me, as it can be frustrating to have few, if any, friends or peers who share your intellectual pursuits and talents. Education and reading have been outlets for me to escape the somewhat trapped world of school. Attending the Summer Studies program and the Scholar Weekends have also been a way for me to escape. At TIP, I meet like-minded people and immerse myself in the world of gifted learning, and I can truly say it has been an extraordinary experience I can find almost nowhere else.
Miranda S.
Being one of the only girls in a class full of boys is so intimidating. Some of them may have been taught that girls aren’t as smart as they are, and therefore will talk to you like you’re not gifted at all and are actually a little girl who somehow wandered into the advanced classes. Do not let these boys get you down, and don’t be nervous about becoming friends with boys. The ones that are worth your time will treat you like everyone else; and it’s always good to explore having friends of all types.
Ashton B.
Being mindful is key. When it comes to drama, always be the calm and understanding person. When you feel anxious, take deep breathes, and focus on your breath. Now, when you receive a bad grade, simply know that the grades in middle school are nothing to worry about too much. If you’re worried because of college or just simply thinking you are getting dumb, know you are not. Colleges don’t worry about how you did in grade school and middle school, and you are not dumb, you are only getting smarter with mistakes.
Chinmayee L.
Being a gifted student is hard sometimes. It’s not that people treat me different, but that I hold myself to a higher standard and have extremely high expectations for myself. When I get a bad grade on a test, my teachers are never mad. They know that even though I’m “gifted” that I still make mistakes and don’t do well sometimes. The hard part about doing bad on a test is dealing with it myself. I’m often go over the test repeatedly after a bad test and think, ‘How could I have missed this?’ I beat myself up over it instead of just realizing that I make mistakes, going over the material to make sure I understand it, and moving on. I also get anxious about my schoolwork a lot. If I’m nervous, don’t understand, or need a little help I ask my classmates. They all me for help often, so they are always willing to help me if I ask. If they can’t help I ask my teachers, who know I’m not perfect and are always willing to help.
Carissa D.
Once, I got an 83 on a test. For me, that was unheard of because I am a perfectionist and an overachiever. I obviously started to freak out because that was my nature. But then I started to remember that in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. It won’t matter 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years from now. It won’t affect me in college or when trying to get a job. In fact, it hardly affected my grade. My advice is don’t stress so much about grades. I am fully aware that I stress all the time, but I recommend that you don’t do it because it can really cover your life like a wet blanket. It might sound cliché, but just do your best, and you should be fine. I learned to manage my time wisely and start my homework really early. I also gave myself little rewards and counted down the days until all the work would be over. That usually empowered me to continue and power through all the work. Don’t run yourself to the ground with work, like I did. Tell your teachers; they might understand and push back the deadline. Try to do your best, but don’t overwhelm yourself with school. There is a lot more to life than that.
Laura O.
The best thing to do when things go wrong is to take a step back, figure out where you went wrong, learn what to do better next time, and move on. When I receive a bad grade on a test or quiz, I take the time to look over the material on the assessment again and make sure I understand it. Meeting with your teacher after class to discuss concepts you don’t understand is also a great choice. Everyone feels anxious about schoolwork at some point or another in middle school, and I have had some very personal experiences with schoolwork stress. If you are feeling overwhelmed or unprepared about a test or project, talk to your teacher or a classmate for extra help. If the homework load just seems never-ending on a particular night, just take things one step at a time and consider taking a break. Sometimes, I just get stressed because I’ve been working too long and just need a break or snack. However, if you are under constant stress and are suffering health consequences such as lack of sleep, talk to a parent.
Rebecca M.
My school has a lot of gifted kids in it, so it’s customary for students to make up any work they don’t receive an A on. In all honesty, they don’t need to do this; it puts stress on the students, and on their teachers. You will need to learn that you will not be able to be a perfect student 100% of the time. Bad grades DO happen. As you’re able to get placed into higher-level classes, you might feel as if you’re not gifted any more. I was placed into 9th grade math in 7th grade, and I failed a test for the first time. Obviously, I freaked out and was sure that I was now going to be a terrible student forever, but this wasn’t true. I went to tutoring a few times, retook the test, and did well on it. Don’t worry if you get a bad grade; you can’t be the best at everything, and your life won’t be ruined forever. In middle school, homework can be really stressful sometimes, so DON’T PROCRASTINATE. It’s not worth it. You’ll regret it, and your grades will suffer, tremendously. Don’t put off your work; just do it the day you get it, and you will thank yourself, later. A lot of people use dry-erase calendars or put sticky notes on their laptops to remind them when their homework is due. It works really well.
Oliver S.
If things go wrong at school, do not stress. I’ve received several not so great test scores, and I’m still alive. If you don’t do as well as you wanted to on a test, most teachers will let you retake it or do extra credit to bring your grade up. If you didn’t understand the topic, talk to your teacher! (That’s what they’re there for!) They will help you comprehend the topic, so you can do better next time. If schoolwork starts stressing you out, a trick I like to use is to do my homework for an hour, then take a 15 minute break. If your work takes more than a few hours to complete, you should talk to a teacher and see what they can do to either decrease your amount of homework or help you finish it quicker by further explaining the topic. Just remember, you are more than your score on a test or sheet of homework!
Emma M.