Dear Future 6th Graders

Dear Future 6th Graders, 

I didn't really know what to expect when entering middle school, so I decided to just "go with the flow." Unfortunately, that "flow" did not turn out well.

I ended up becoming friends with someone who ran in a popular circle. At first, I kept my distance because I wasn't sure how to act around them. Even though I wanted to be part of their group, I didn't want to change who I was. Ultimately, I chose a path just to become well-known, changing myself simply to fit in.

Looking back, fitting in that way was the wrong choice. It dragged me into unnecessary drama and made me feel pressured to date people before I was ready. I'm only 11! I couldn't even have a close guy friend without everyone assuming we were dating (although, now that I think of it, that’s kind of normal).

If I can give you any advice, it is to stay true to yourself from day one. Don't change who you are just to be popular. Real friends will like you for exactly who you are, without all the drama. There’s so much more you can do but honestly, if I did this article would be extremely long.

This is some more tips from other incoming 7th graders:

Jazmyn Hernandez, 610: “Be yourself. Don’t change for other people. Always try to focus on your studies and do all of your homework. No matter how much you don’t want to, all it does is lower your grades. Don’t get involved with all the drama, it never goes well. Always study for your tests. Once again, if you fail all it does is lower your grades.” 

Alice Cao, 610: “Don’t be messy, stay on top of your schoolwork and make sure you understand the material!! It’s not gonna come to you overnight so make sure you’re ready. Things here are extremely different from elementary. Also don’t act rude or disrespectful just because you think it’s cool, you’re not gaining anything and it just makes people dislike you more. Most importantly, don’t take apart your Chromebook or any device for school!! Your parents are gonna end up paying for it and they’re not going to be happy. Sadly, even if it’s a month before school ends, the learning does not. Stay focused until the end!”

Micheal Burgos, 610: “Hi future sixth graders! 6th grade will be an absolute JOURNEY! It will be so much fun, trust me! You will go through so many new experiences and face so many new challenges with brand new people and new faces. You will change so much and you may view things differently, and that’s perfectly okay, it’s a part of growing up! Once I entered 6th grade, I was scared, nervous and confused. And my mental health started to deteriorate. But trust me, there’s nothing to be worried about and you’ll get through it easily and you’ll get used to the school very quickly! Ignore the people shooting you down and always stay confident because you never know what will happen! Have fun in 6th grade!”

I hope this helps! Bye!

Best of luck,

Naia Latorre, 610