written by Ellie Cole-Calderon, Eva Jones, and Winter Ryu-Whitney
Going to a new school can be scary, especially when you don’t know what to expect; everybody has experienced this. Despite the bumps and challenges of their first year, 7th grade is a great year to make new friends, experience new things, and challenge yourself in new ways. Use this article as a guide through this transition period by offering you some sage wisdom from veterans of the struggle.
We asked a variety of students here at Eagle Rock one question:
“If you could give your 7th-grade self one piece of advice, what would it be?”
And we’ve compiled the most interesting and helpful responses.
“When you get home, get straight to homework instead of procrastinating until the last minute and losing sleep.” June Hoffman, 8th Grade
“Don’t procrastinate on projects, and especially on your finals.” Evie Van Oteghem, 8th Grade
“I would manage my time better, and keep a schedule.“ Kree Keltner, 8th Grade
“Don’t let late assignments pile up, that happened to me a couple of times.” Mickele Foschetti, 12th Grade
As addressed by many students, procrastination is a significant issue in the 7th grade. Due to the shift from elementary to middle school, the workload of 7th grade can be overwhelming. On top of that, it’s easy to form bad study habits; many recommend doing your homework the day it’s assigned and getting a headstart on projects or upcoming tests.
“Focus on work and don’t try looking for relationships because you don’t need that. Just focus on school and get good grades.” Austin Jose, 8th Grade
“Don’t get bad grades because you’ll have to go to summer school.” Andre Galindo, 8th Grade
“To not just do the classwork and actually study for my tests. And to do better in math, because I was really bad at that.” Camilla Lahmeyer, 8th Grade
“Do your homework.” Sam McFarland, 8th Grade
A multitude of students wish they had tried harder on academics in 7th grade, and many admit to having focused on other, less important things. Other students, however, wished they had taken things a bit less seriously, and believed they pushed themselves too much for just 7th grade.
“Don’t worry too much about your grades in 7th grade. I mean, obviously try to get good grades, but remember that it doesn’t matter too much in 7th.” Lennon Turner, 8th Grade
Many students mentioned lack of time management skills as a significant factor on their stress levels. Most new students come from a school with one class, so switching to an eight-class schedule can be a huge struggle. This proves that it’s important to get ahead and stop procrastinating. While this can seem daunting or even impossible, developing good work habits at the start of your middle school career will greatly benefit you. At the same time, you shouldn’t stress if you get a few bad test results.
Many students talked about social woes, advising on friend drama, along with some playful advice.
“Don’t steal any tables from the older kids. Dress well, you will regret it if you don’t.” Mazzy Jacobs, 8th Grade
“To keep in contact with friends over the summer, because I feel like I lost a lot of connections over the summer and I had to spend a lot of time rebuilding them this year.” Rio Fisher, 8th Grade
“Make the most of your time. Go to all the fun events and don’t be afraid to talk to new people and make friends.” Maia Arquillos, 9th Grade
“Leave all your friends that are mean.” Lyric Jones, 12th Grade
“Get on Ms. Torres’s good side.” Kenneth Castaneda, 8th Grade
“If you can, stick with your elementary school friend group, and don’t abandon them.” Annie Baker-Young, 8th Grade
“Put your map on your phone. Don’t carry it around.” Dylan Robles, 12th Grade
Many students reflected on how they presented themselves in 7th grade, including how they dressed or acted. There were conflicting opinions on holding onto your elementary school friends versus branching out to find new ones. Many acknowledged that 7th grade is a pivotal time for change, and suggested trying new things, making new friends, and discovering new interests. Our advice is that joining clubs is a great way to become more involved in the school community and make new friends. Talk to your teachers, and try to pursue every opportunity.
Advice from Teachers
Additionally, we received some advice from teachers around school, offering their perspectives.
“Go outside of your comfort zone, and try things that you haven’t before because you’ll never know when you’ll be surprised.” Ms. Silverman, Band Director
“I’ve been teaching 7th grade for most of my career. 32 years, to be exact, and I would say the most important piece of advice is the same advice that Lily Avina, a member of Journalism gave, which is ‘say yes.’ Say yes to reasonable things, academic things. Say yes to challenges, because if you join a club, if you take a risk, if you join an elective, it’s easy to say no, but if you say yes, then, you’re gonna have all kinds of adventures you wouldn’t have had otherwise. You're gonna be at Eagle Rock for a long time, so the more you say yes to interesting opportunities, the better experience you’re gonna have at this school” Mr. Hicks, English Teacher
“The first thing would be to know your way around. Sometimes the campus can be very big, especially coming from an elementary school. I would recommend students introduce themselves to their teachers, and let them know their preferred name. And the final thing I would say is to find someone to relate to on campus. Either a friend or a friend of a friend. Never be alone.” Mr. Aguilar, Math Teacher
We hope that you find some of this advice helpful. Thanks to the collective wisdom of ERHS's students and staff, all of who survived 7th grade, things will hopefully get to be easier for you. The only way you can truly succeed is by experimenting and finding what works for you.
In summary, yes, you should work hard in 7th grade, but don't let academics consume you. 7th grade is a year to have fun and make mistakes. That said, don't blow off school, and build good habits to take to 8th grade. Even though your middle school grades won't affect you in high school, the things you learn will, so pay attention and do your homework. And with that, thank you for reading, and come back next time to learn how to survive 8th grade!
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