Life+in+The+Middle+Lane

by Daniel L
 * Life in the Middle Lane**

When I saw high school from the sixth grade, I thought it was a piece of cake. As a sixth grader, everything seemed new and exiting. You have the feeling that everyone is good at heart. You have no sweat, and perfect sleep; you think that you have what it takes to be in the seventh grade. You’re a good student with perfect attendance, and a perfect homework grade. What is there to fear? This was what I thought at the end of the year at Tully Elementary back in the sixth grade.

After a nice warm summer, I had my pencils and pens ready, my bag on my back, and I was only afraid for the other middle and high schoolers. I would go through every class, and realize, “Boy, this is easy!” I met all the teachers; they were all happy to meet me and all of the other students. I was looking forward to another day of school, and that was not what I got. I was overwhelmed, and I was confused with a long list of homework. Then I got a zero on a test for not following the directions, because I missed the first part of the directions for being late to class. That was another thing; I was late from class to class because I would forget what class to go to next.

Eventually, I started to not care about some things, like homework, and reviewing my notes in school. It was the weirdest feeling. I didn’t know why, but it started to happen after I went to junior high. Eventually, it affected my grades, and after some time, I realized I had to step up. I was more mature, but also more careless, and I cared more about my social life then school.

Around the middle of eighth grade, I realized that I must reflect back on my old personality; I had to stay gold. When I was in the sixth grade, I was a little more immature and careful, but emotionally, I was much wiser, and I never figured it out until then. Soon I started to get better grades, my homework was a lot more complete than before, and I never worried about how other people judged me. When I was in sixth grade that is who I was, and that is who I will continue to be.

When I entered the ninth grade, my grades started to go up, and I was heading on the right path. I was used to high school and the new responsibilities you receive, like being able to freely walk to lunch and not in lines, having multiple lines in lunch, eating however much you wanted, and most of all, your classes were sometimes completely different from someone else. I was aware of what would happen if this was abused. I took advantage of the privileges, and I took them at their best; I didn't abuse the privileges. I still had some issues like remembering homework in some classes, but I got better with homework, and I am trying new ways, such as writing in my planner to forward my memory, so I can remember my homework.

The one thing you have to know about Junior High School is that you must not worry too much about it. I do admit jumping from sixth grade to seventh is quite a jump compared to jumping from other grades and even going to high school. As long as you use the same studying skills, and you always do your homework in every class, I promise you are going to pass every class.

You might worry about failing the final at the end of the year, or worry about doing badly on quizzes, but try to remember that homework is another word for studying. Homework is given is not to torture you, or because the teacher who assigned it is mean. There is another reason. Homework is good for reviewing what you learned in class so that it is fresh in your mind, so review, especially during the school day. Study on a regular basis. If you study for two hours for only one day, and blow it off the rest of the week, chances are you are not going to remember much of what you studied. But if you study every day for even a half an hour, it will be fresh in your mind. It took me ages to learn that, and you now know early. I saved you all that thinking.

The best way to learn is by example, and I am your example. I went through all this without thinking twice, but now my mind is fresh, and hopefully, yours is too.