If you’re a 6th grader or rising 7th grader who is starting middle school soon, you’re probably pretty nervous about it. So, to help you feel more prepared, these are the top 10 tips for how to succeed in middle school.
#1: Don’t stress too much. People remember being super worried about classes being too hard as 6th graders, or not making any new friends. Just remember that everyone else feels the same way, and the classes are not that much harder than 6th grade. They’re not easy, but it’s definitely nothing you can’t handle. Everyone was nervous about not being able to keep up, but you’ll be surprised at how little homework you have. Some even had more homework in 6th grade than they have in 7th so far.
#2: Understand the schedule. LJMS uses a block schedule, which means that you don’t have every class every day. There are odd days and even days. On odd days, you will have periods 1,3,4,5, and 7. On even days you will have periods 2,3,4,6, and 8. Every class is about an hour and a half long, except for 3rd and 4th periods, which are about 45 minutes. Everyone has advisory (or learning seminar) for 4th period, which is where you have recess every other day. There are 4 lunch periods, A,B,C, and D. You will always go to lunch with your 5th or 6th period class.
#3: Attend everything. Go to everything that will help you be more prepared for the first day. There is a Curriculum Night in the spring, a camp at LJ in the summer, and the open house a few days before school starts. Many elementary schools also offer field trips to middle schools. You should go to every one of these events. This is where you will meet your teachers, learn more about different classes, and learn to navigate the school.
#4: Don’t procrastinate. In middle school, you don’t have every class every day. You might be tempted to put off your homework, but don’t. You’ll regret it. You’re not going to want to do it the next day, and you might even forget about an assignment. Do all your homework the day it’s assigned.
#5: Use a planner. You might think you can keep track of all your assignments without a planner, but you probably can’t. Get a planner so you can write down everything you have to do for all of your classes. It’s much easier than trying to remember everything.
#6: Check Schoology/SIS. FCPS uses Schoology and StudentVUE. Make sure you check both of these at least every night so you know what’s going on at LJ, see your grades, and see any important information from your teachers. Also make sure to check your email, in case one of your teachers messages you.
#7: Know how to navigate the school. If you go to everything, as in tip #3, you should definitely pay close attention to where everything is. Know which hallway is which, and also where the cafeteria, gym, main office, and library are. At the open house, see if you can find all your classrooms by yourself. Also make sure you bring a map of the school with you on the first day.
#8: Finding your bus. If you take the bus, you’ll need to know how to find it at the end of the day. There is a board outside that shows where all the buses are. Remember, the bus listed directly below the row number, is the first bus in that row. The numbers of every row are written on the sidewalk.
#9: Do after school activities. LJMS offers a lot of different after school activities. You should definitely try some of them. You might find that you enjoy it, and it’s a great way to meet new people. The after school program is really fun, and it’s easier to make friends there than in class.
#10: PE/Band lockers. You’ll get a locker to keep you PE uniform in. Always make sure to write your locker number and combination on a piece of paper. The coaches will have you do this, and they’ll guide you through the process of choosing a locker. They’ll also teach you how to open your locker. Your PE uniform will stay in your locker, at school, until you bring it home to wash it, and then you bring it back for your next PE class. During PE, put any devices like phones or AirPods in your locker, and also a stick of deodorant (but NO PERFUME). If you’re in band or orchestra, you’ll get a locker for your instrument. When you come in the morning of your band/orchestra class, drop it off before your first class, and then pick it up at the end of the day. Don’t forget to bring it home so you can practice.
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