How to Comfortably Transition From 8th Grade to High School

The transition from 8th grade to high school is exciting, scary, nerve wracking and full of the unknown. Some kids have older siblings who have paved the way for them, eliminating some of the unknown, but for those who must go it alone, these steps will get you through the first days of the new school year.

Instructions

1. Take a tour of your new building. It takes a couple weeks to get the hang of where your classrooms are in comparison to your locker, the restrooms, the cafeteria and gym. Walk through your average day and figure out when locker stops are necessary (which classes require you to carry the most stuff, like notebooks, binders, books and gym clothes). If you pack your lunch, figure out when you can pick up your lunch so you don't have to carry it all morning.

2. Stay on task. In 8th grade, your teachers were more lenient about late assignments and make-up work, but in high school, this changes. Your teachers expect you to be responsible for yourself, which means keeping on top of your homework, budgeting study time for quizzes and tests and keeping the chit chat to a minimum during class time.

3. Hold on to your values and don't get sucked in by your new high school peers. It's easy to follow the crowd when you aren't sure what else to do, especially when many of the students are now older than you are. Stop and think about your actions before you jump into a situation that could get you in big trouble.

4. Make good impressions with your teachers, principals, guidance counselors and coaches. These people are with you for the next 4 years and it would be a shame to ruin your chances with them right off the bat. By your junior year, you may need to ask one of these people to write college and/or job recommendations for you.