Study Notes To My Grade 8 Self (Guest Post)

The shift and change from elementary to high school is one that most students begin preparing for from the time they are old enough to read. As a Grade 9 student myself (who has just finished my first semester), I was one of those students not too long ago. In my mind, secondary school seemed daunting and something I would never be ready for. That is, until I actually HAD to be ready for it.

All my preconceived thoughts about high school sat in the back of my mind on my first day of Grade 9. And those same thoughts were all gone by the time the final bell rung at the end of the day.

The gist of what I am saying is that in my experience so far, high school is amazing –  definitely not as terrifying as I had initially thought. I only wish I could have known this before I started, so that I could have spent less time worrying and more time preparing for the wonderful experience I have had so far.

One of my most dominant concerns about Grade 9 life had to do with friends – whether or not I would make new ones; if people would like me (sounds cliché, but it’s true!) and most worrisome of all – would I lose all the friends I had made from my previous school. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being in the same classes as them.

Currently, I know the answers to all three of these questions.

While I can’t speak for everyone, based on my own high school experience so far I’ve discovered that as long as you are yourself and are nice to others, people will be attracted to you. Word of mouth is usually thought of as a bad thing – but if you make the right first impression, then it can be used to your advantage.

Just by being myself and by being kind to my classmates, word got around and I can happily say that I have more friends than I ever thought I would. Looking back, I realize that little Grade 8 Aiden had nothing to be worried about.

Note to my Grade 8 self: Don’t worry so much about what other people think – just be yourself. Showing people the real you will make it easier to make friends, create school connections and to just enjoy yourself while you’re there.

In elementary school, kids are typically with the same classmates for ten years. Ten years! At this point in time, that’s half our lives. I believed that the bonds I had with some of these classmates were unbreakable. But nope. While I was sad and nervous to be leaving my familiar group, I have to admit that it was fairly easy to do so. Of course, all those great memories remain – but when you are not around the same people day in and day out, it becomes easier to move on.

I still say “hi” when I see my old friends in the halls, but I really only talk to two of my closest friends from elementary school. And thanks to the opportunity of meeting kids from all over the school district, I have met many like-minded people – some who share more interests with me than the kids I had been friends with because we were in the same class.

Note to my Grade 8 self: Yes friendships will change. Some will fade and new ones will form – but it will all be okay.

Something else that weighed on my mind where high school was concerned – were the teachers. I assumed they were the complete opposite of a friend; that there would be no second chances or do-overs when it came to school work. But I was wrong.

So far, my high school teachers have been nothing but supportive, caring and helpful. Teachers from both my first and second semesters have tried their best to guide me through my Grade 9 year – and I couldn’t be more thankful. For the most part, my teachers have proven that they understand we are new to high school and they have done their best to help us as students.

Note to my Grade 8 self: Don’t be afraid of high school teachers. They will end up being a great support system.

Just because teachers are nice and understanding doesn’t mean school won’t be a lot of work. Trust me, there will be work. If I had the chance, I would tell my Grade 8 self to be ready to stay up a little later than usual.

As upsetting as this might seem, I have found the increased homework load manageable – as long as I focus to get the work done. Time management is not my best quality – but it is something I have had to improve over this past year.

Initially, I was dumbfounded by the amount of homework and projects I received – and I didn’t know how I would manage to get it all finished. I did though – and it’s because I worked hard and changed the way I did things in order to adjust to the new workload.

Note to my Grade 8 self: If you want to have an easier time in high school, then be prepared to work a little harder. It will pay off in the end.

Another major difference between grade school and high school is that students can actually fail classes in high school. Just because you attend a class is not a guarantee that you will pass your grade and move on to the next. A lot rides on the end of semester exams – and the idea of taking exams and possibly even failing was terrifying to me back in Grade 8.

Fast forward several months later and I can say with confidence that I think I did pretty well on my first ever set of exams. They were really not as big a deal as I had thought them to be.

Note to my Grade 8 self: High school exams are not that big a deal. Take them seriously, study hard and calm your nerves – you will be fine.

Currently at school, I am part of the poetry club, the comic book club and most importantly the school newspaper. I never would have thought that I would be publishing pieces of MY work every week for OTHER people to read. It has really boosted my self confidence as well as my writing skills.

Trying new things and stepping outside my comfort zone have been two of the main reasons that high school so far has been such an incredible and unpredictable experience for me. Just from making an effort to try new things, I have discovered several new enjoyable interests and hobbies.

Note to my Grade 8 self: Don’t be afraid to try new activities and clubs. You may surprise yourself. And this is what high school is all about!

If I could go back in time and talk to my Grade 8 self, there is so much I would say about this next chapter of my life. True – I would be stepping outside of my comfort zone and yes – things were going to change – but I would survive – and maybe even enjoy myself in the process.

Note to my Grade 8 self: There is no proper way to prepare for the new and different experiences that will come out of high school. All you can do is learn from your mistakes, your successes and everything else that happens in between.