This article was co-authored by Ashley Pritchard, MA. Ashley Pritchard is an Academic and School Counselor at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Ashley has over 3 years of high school, college, and career counseling experience. She has an MA in School Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health from Caldwell University and is certified as an Independent Education Consultant through the University of California, Irvine.
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Middle school is an important time in your life, and it may be difficult and full of challenges. However, it is possible to both survive and ace it.
Steps
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1Be organized.[1] If you stay organized, you will surely have all your materials and be prepared to complete all your assignments and get a good grade. Organizing is one of the basic keys to school success, so be sure to keep your locker and everything you need to be organized, though some middle schools do not have lockers.
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2Pay close attention in class.[2] If the class is boring, try your best to pay attention and find a way to stay interested in the subject.[3]
- Take good notes, focus your attention on the teacher, and following directions. If you follow directions, you will succeed when you learn. If you don't follow directions, you'll have a hard time learning and be being successful.
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3Study, study, study! Studying helps you retain knowledge. If you know information from previous years, the school will be easier to deal with than you might think. Review all the key points in every subject that you had, and study a little bit more for tests.[4] Try to study for about an hour, beginning a couple nights before your test. Never cram your study time, but instead plan your studying period several days beforehand. That way, you'll be prepared with less stress.
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4Sleep more.[5] If you can't sleep, see tips on sleeping better. Sleeping will give your mind a rest, making you energetic when school starts. Always get at least 8-10 hours of sleep during your pre-adolescent and adolescent years. Good sleep habits will help you in the long run. It's a good idea to wake up at least an hour earlier than when you have to leave for school. Most 11-year-old girls need about 10 hours of sleep to look, feel and BE their best. So remember to have a nice long sleep before you go to school each day (e.g. If you have to wake up at 6 a.m., you should try to be in bed by 8 p.m.).
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5Eat a healthy breakfast.[6] Eating healthy things will improve your listening capability to the teachers and will make you ready to go. Make sure to eat protein like eggs or bacon over sugary foods. The sugar will perk you up in the short term, but you will then crash, causing it to be more difficult for you to concentrate.
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6Always get your homework done right when you get home. This leaves more time for fun things but also makes you more responsible.
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7Ask questions when you are confused.[7] The teacher most likely wants to answer any questions you have about what they teach. If you are too embarrassed to ask in class, (which you shouldn't be), ask the teacher in private, such as after school.[8] You can't learn anything if you don't understand it. Usually when they talk about something you don't understand, and you don't ask about it, it'll lower your grade when you miss those questions on the test. Teachers are there to help you learn, not intimidate you.
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8Don't overbook yourself. It's good to be involved in sports, clubs, or other extracurriculars, but don't join so many that you are unable to do well.
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9Respect others. Be respectful to your peers and teachers. If you do, people will respect you more and you will likely never get in trouble. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you make a good impression at the beginning of the year, the teacher will believe and trust you if you are accused of something. Don't think that that means you can get out of trouble you cause though!
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10Make friends! It's especially important in middle school to make some really good friends. They're your support group and your lifeline in middle school.[9] If you have good friends, they'll be able to support you all through middle school and help you to achieve your very best.
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11Don't bring phone or other electronics unless you can stay focused with it, it can distract you easily. Don't text in class, it can get you in a lot of trouble, or even get your phone taken away. Only use or have out your phone and other electronics when you have permission from a teacher to do so. Remember that it can be disrespectful to the teachers if you have it out behind their back. If you do have your phone or other electronics with you, keep it on silent. It can detract your peers from learning and interrupt the teacher's teaching if your electronic goes off in the middle of class.
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12Start studying in advance. Begin studying for a normal test or quiz two weeks in advance or as soon as possible, and for midterms and finals (if you have them in middle school) start studying six weeks ahead.[10]
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow I make my teachers not use violence in class?DonaganTop AnswererReport them to the school administrator.
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QuestionShould I be myself?Community AnswerYou should always be yourself. If people don't like you for who you are then they don't deserve you as a friend.
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QuestionWhat happens if my teacher is skipping things and not making them clear?DonaganTop AnswererAsk him or her to clarify the information.
Warnings
- If other students tell you that you are smarter than them, it's best to use your amazing talents to help them improve.⧼thumbs_response⧽
References
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ Ted Coopersmith, MBA. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 10 July 2020.
- ↑ Ted Coopersmith, MBA. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 10 July 2020.
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ Ted Coopersmith, MBA. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 10 July 2020.
- ↑ Ted Coopersmith, MBA. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 10 July 2020.
- ↑ Ted Coopersmith, MBA. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 10 July 2020.