Life's Little Instructions to Middle School Survival

William Snell once wrote Life’s Little Instructions, beautifully decorated onto a poster, in the finest prints, in the lushest colors. I saw the poster for first time in my dentist’s office when I was eight years old. I still think about it.

Reader, you’re reading my version of this piece. I haven’t lived long enough to make a full and official list titled Life’s Little Instructions, so today I will only be writing Life’s Little Instructions to Middle School Survival. Whether you’re an average student, an A+ student or you’re failing your classes, these little pieces of advice may just help you slip through middle school.

Be yourself. I experience assimilation in my school. Too much assimilation in terms of how people conduct themselves, or how they dress themselves. It’s almost like a treasure hunt: the first day of school is the day you see the map. You begin the school year with the end in mind, who you want to be like, who you want to like you, what social groups you want to be in, so others below you will act submissive. The first day of school, I observed, was the one day where all the new students were themselves. I was able to see their personalities in front of the mask that they extracted later in the year. But I have learned that if you just be yourself, you will still develop friendships. I have observed that these friendships tend to be more meaningful, as you are surrounding yourself with people who authentically have similar interests.

Do not procrastinate. Although it does mean you will have something to do tomorrow, I find procrastination leads to sleep deprivation and an leaves unsatisfactory feeling. I think the best way to avoid procrastination is to prioritize. Instead of thinking about what I want to do at that particular moment, I think about how much less rushed and how much more freedom I will have after finishing my priorities.

Thank your teachers. Before stepping out of the classroom, I will always say something along the lines of ‘thank you, have a wonderful day.’ Teachers are paid for students to be vacuous of their material, and they are still paid when students succeed. When I thank my teacher, they [I hope] understand that I appreciate the time and effort they put into making sure that I understand their material. Besides showing that you have adequate manners, thanking teachers after each class also shows that you care about the class, and therefore, it may become easier to ask that teacher for help later on. Thanking teachers is the first step to building a sturdy relationship, which will benefit throughout one’s whole educational career.

Accept treats when it’s someone’s birthday snack. When there are birthdays, kids bring in treats for the whole class. This is such a minor detail, but accepting the treat is encouraging the confidence and celebration of this important, coming of age event for somebody else. (Of course don’t have the treat if you have an allergy :))

Get your energy out. No matter what school you attend, the school day should not be comprised of learning for six hours straight. When there are little breaks in the middle of classes, or lunch time, make sure you release your energy. Whether that energy comes in a form of speech or physical activity, when I make sure that I get my energy out, it helps me stay focused in the latter classes. Also, it keeps me more mindful and peaceful. It helps me relieve stress and prioritize, so that the lesson is on the top of my mind.

Come to school with a full stomach. Skipping breakfast might be the worst idea. For me, I eat the most during breakfast and least during dinner. As a result, breakfast has turned into my fuel. Coming to school on an empty

stomach might make you more tired and less focused during the first few classes.

Come into class expecting to learn something. The worst is when I’ve been in class with “know–it–alls.” The obvious reason I put quotations around the words know–it–all, is because no one is the universe apprehends everything. There is always more room to grow. Also, the less obvious reason I have inserted the quotation marks is because the kids who are the “know–it–alls” tend to be the students with too much ego, and too little reliable knowledge. By coming to class, expecting to learn something, I find myself more keen and alert towards the details of a lesson. The lesson also becomes more intriguing.

SO LONG, READERS!