I know what you’re thinking...What is this girl talking about? Every part of middle school sucked.

Some examples are as follows:

We were all hormonal and immature, yet, we thought we were so “grown up.”

Every single one of us went through an awkward stage before we finally grew into our normal bodies.

We all had that one boyfriend or girlfriend who we claimed to “love so much” for about two weeks, and quite frankly, we’re embarrassed to even think about it.

Lastly, any disgusting photo of our clothing, hair or makeup style should be burned at the stake.

However, I think we try a little bit too hard to shut that weird stage out of our lives. Many of us forget about the crucial highlights.

Think about it: middle school was our time to have fun before we were forced to think about high school jobs, college and careers. It’s the place to learn from your classes without stressing about the future.

So keep that in mind, and remember why middle school was better than you thought.

1. In reality, middle school was easy as pie.

Sure, you may not have thought so at the time, but looking back, middle school was fun and easy. Teachers were much more lenient and understanding, and classes were interactive and creative.

2. Lifelong friendships were strengthened.

While I lost a few friends along the way, I actually met some of my truest friends in middle school. Looking back, I realize that if you were able to deal with your dramatic, drawn-out fights, you were able to make it through the rest of life together.

3. Not many people worked.

Remember those summers when you had so much free time? I kill for free time nowadays. All we did was play around outside in the sun with friends and have sleepovers every weekend. I read so many books for fun…now textbooks take up all my time.

4. Barely anyone drove yet.

Even though our parents were forced to awkwardly cart us around everywhere, we didn’t have driving responsibilities. No gas money. Just the luxury of getting a ride to fun places.

5. Most of us didn’t feel like we needed alcohol to have fun.

With the help of Mountain Dew 24-packs, we somehow pulled all-nighters every weekend doing the weirdest things. My friends and I would watch horror movies eating ice cream and pizza rolls, and we often made embarrassing videos to entertain ourselves.

6. While some people watched what they ate and exercised, I certainly never did until high school.

I miss those days of eating to my heart’s content without a single thought. I never felt guilty at all for skipping an exercise day or eating what I wanted. Instead, I just did what made me happy and didn't care what others thought.

7. Until we got a job, our parents paid for everything.

If we went out to movies, ate at our favorite restaurants, or needed clothes or shoes, our parents helped us out every step of the way. We never had to think about what it would be like to buy our own groceries or pay rent.

8. Our strange hair and clothing choices were cool as hell.

Sure, we fed off of each other, and tried to stay “in style,” but I also remember being more brave than I am now. Since most of us hadn't claimed an identity yet, we tried new things to find who we wanted to be.

9. No matter what, we tried our best, and that was enough.

The older I get, the harder I am on myself. Back then, if I got a lower score on a test or an assignment I didn't freak out as much. I’d do better next time. If I didn’t do as well on an event at a gymnastics meet, that was okay. I would work on it.

Even though I set goals for myself, I wasn’t quite as disappointed if I didn’t succeed. School was mandatory, so I did the best I could, and gymnastics was just for fun. I forget that trying your best should always be enough.

10. We still found excuses to be kids.

Even though we acted like certain things were childish, my friends and I never judged each other for being kids. We would play with Barbie’s on occasion or even house. I remember when the boys still played Legos or action figures.

Maybe your middle school experience was different from mine, but I'm sure you can relate to at least one or two of these points.

So the next time you look back on middle school and shudder at the thought, think about the good times. Whether you liked to admit it or not, you were just a kid. Never forget how precious that time was.