Crazy Tip Time: Don't Wear Your Princess Panties!

Okay, okay. I know I haven't posted in awhile but I'm back and with a crazy sounding tip: Don't wear your princess panties! Weird, right? Let me explain.

First, one of the experiences I was most concerned about before starting middle school was gym class and locker rooms and having to change in front of everyone. If you're like me, this fear was at the top of my list. You're telling me that I have to remember a combination lock for this locker too AND get changed in front of strangers?? Umm, no thank you.

But of course, this situation is unavoidable. You have to take gym class and you have to change in front of other people. I'm here to share with you some of the strangest but most helpful advice I received about this conundrum.

It was at the end of my fifth grade year and someone had asked my fifth grade teacher about what gym class was like in middle school. She simply said: Don't wear your princess panties.

She went on to explain that although underwear with princesses, days of the week, and superheros are super cute, they aren't the kind kids wear in middle school. And this isn't to say that people stare at your underwear when you're changing and judge you based on what kind you have on. However, it was some of the most helpful advice I received because sure enough, the first day of gym class, not one person had on princess underwear. 

So! As part of your before-school shopping, I highly recommend in investing in some non-princess, superhero, or days of the week underwear. Even if no one happens to realize what you are wearing, it'll boost your own self-confidence.

Do you have any crazy tips? If you do, feel free to comment them below or email them to iwillrockmiddleschool@gmail.com to be featured in a blog post!

Alumni Post #5 -- Two Simple Steps: Pay Attention, Do your Work!

Hello, I am a current resident middle school student!
For two years, I have traversed the halls of the middle school and I have been through everything from heartbreak to gold metals. Middle school can look like a big deal but it's really just moving from one building to another. Now, I agree middle school does have its problems like backstabbing and bad grades but look up! These are the three years of your life where you can find who you truly are. You can have a chance to find people who care about and value the same things you do!  Through trial and error I have found kind friends and caring staff. Grades -- every kid frets at one point how they are doing, and how the others in their classes are doing. Well, even though some of you have the mindset of just getting it done, other like me just saw middle school as more homework and evil teachers. Yet its not, and if you play your cards right you can have teachers loving you and grades up to peaking A’s. All you need to do is two simple steps: Pay attention and do your work. Hope you have a great year! -- Bethany H.

Alumni Post #3 -- Don't be afraid to put yourself out there!

Middle School can be a confusing place, but there's one thing I remember from it most. It wasn't the dances or the friends, it was learning about where I can fit in. I've never been much of an out-going person. I've always been able to count my friends on my hand and my shyness definitely got the best of me. That being said, I was nervous about asking the guys if I could play basketball in gym. They didn't hesitate to say yes and put me on the team, but it still took me a while to come out of my shell. I'm still shy for the most part, though some of that shyness went away after those years of playing basketball with the boys. I guess my point of this is: Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. The worst anyone can do is say no. -- Kylie W.

Alumni Post #2 -- Overwhelmed with the campus!

When I was entering Middle School, I was overwhelmed with the much bigger campus and two story buildings. Coming from one of the smallest Elementary Schools in our county, it was a huge change. One challenge I had, was although most everyone from my Elementary School when to my Middle School, I was not very close with them or not in any of the same classes. I had to find and make new friends. One thing I wish I knew before Middle School was somehow if you make an effort to make friends, it'll all fall into place. In no time, you'll know the campus like the back of your hand. Middle School, if  done right, can be a great time to prepare you for High School without much stress. -- Gunnar C.

Why This Blog Was Created

The thought of starting Middle School was summed up in one word for me: Terrifying.  Towards the end of my fifth grade year, teachers began to focus on warning their classes of how 'hard' Middle School would be. How much harder classes would be, how hard it would be to get to all seven of your classes on time, how hard it would be to get to your locker and get what you needed out of it in only five minutes. Hard. And scary. And my word: Terrifying. On top of all this, at the end of my fifth grade year, the county I lived in decided to redraw its school zoning lines. And because I have horrible luck, I was now zoned for a school where none of my friends were zoned. Literally, out of a class of about 150 kids, I was the only student zoned for this Middle School. As if this transition wasn't going to be hard enough, right? Well, after several months of forging my way through this unknown territory, I picked up on the nuances of  not only surviving Middle School, but ROCKING it. This blog was created to help kids like me-- who want a resource to guide them through this transition. That is what this blog is here to do!