Middle school is like the awkward phase in your life. You do not know where you will end up in life, you make new friends and end old friendships, and your assignments get harder. If I recall, most people I asked do not like middle school. While I am certainly one of those people, I passionately despise my time there. Here are my five reasons why middle school was the worst experience for me when it comes to my education.
1. Dealing with bullies
Bullying does not make you look cool, it only hides your insecurities just by making yourself feel better. This was easily one of the worst experiences I have ever had in my two years of middle school. Just out of the blue, these boys would just be mean and say vile things to me. They did not hurt me physically, but they made sure I was emotionally upset, and it worked. One time, I told them that I was at my limits and was about to tell a teacher, but one of them said something very negative about me standing up for myself and they just laughed at me. The worst part? It was during lunch, and none of the friends I sat with helped me at all. As I recall, when my advanced math class and I walked back from the high school’s play of "The Wizard of Oz", one of my classmates, who was also one of the bullies, threw rocks at me. And to think I was having fun after watching the play and not being able to do math assignments, my mood crumbled down once again because of them. The fact that the boys were making fun of me and that I had no friends in that class made the experience awful.
2. A.R. tests
"Twilight", of course! Note to self: do not always rely on the movie to help you with your A.R. test, because adaptations do not always follow the book, even if the book itself is not outstanding literature.
3. The "friends" you knew changed
When this thought occurred to me when planning this list, it makes me feel alone. Since I used to be in a city system school, my primary school is where I made some nice friendships even though we were so young we barely remember. Being innocent and just hanging out with them during class and lunch made the days less scary. But then some of them went to a different elementary school as I went on without them. When I saw them again in middle school, I was so happy to know and see familiar faces again. Boy was I wrong as time went on. Some of them were the bullies who picked on me, while others did not recognize me. It was sad that with so many years of being apart from them can change who they are from when you once knew them. Because of this, I learned the hard way that we have to move on from past friendships.
4. Going through puberty
Oh puberty, you were a scary and not-so-fun ride during this time. Not only did I have to focus on getting good grades, I was still going through with my body changing and having a crush on a boy who hung out with the bullies. Acne was terrible, hormones were so out of whack, and I still had to go to school despite feeling like I am being torn apart from the outside (and to an extent inside, if you catch my drift). I may have had perfect attendances in my two years in middle school, but sometimes I wished I missed some days when my menstrual cycle would make me feel so sick that I was going to pass out. Being very emotional during this time was also an unfortunate part to go through, but once I was able to go home from school, I could finally eat my mom’s delicious cooking, play some "Dance Dance Revolution" on the Wii, and finish my homework before heading to bed.
5. Being in a completely new environment
After graduating from elementary school, I was definitely ready to start a new chapter in my life. While open house was certainly helpful, it was still very scary to be somewhere you are not comfortable at the second you stepped into the middle school building. Even though you will see familiar faces, the new faces will be intimidating, especially the teachers. The risk of being late for class is one thing, but doing it too often can lead you to detention, Saturday school, or in-school suspension. Sometimes you wondered if you were in the right classroom when homeroom began, or if you got everything you needed for your classes. That is why we are thankful to have teachers to help us get to where we need to be.
While going through middle school was one of the toughest moments in my life, just knowing that I made it brings me joy. I do not have to worry about it ever again, and I can move on from the painful memories those two years brought me.
