My transition from elementary school to middle school felt like something I dreaded for days and days. I felt like I was leaving the safe environment in which I had been comfortable for five years. I didn’t want to leave.
It was my first period class, and my first day of middle school. As I walked into the class there were so many different faces in front of me. I quickly found a seat and tried not to be noticed by the other students. I was so nervous of what people would think about me. Everything and everybody was different. I was the only one from my elementary school and I knew no one.
Then I left my homeroom and suddenly I drew a blank! I had lost my class schedule! Thoughts kept running through my head. “Where do I go?” “What do I do now?” “Oh no! How could I let this happen?” I felt so scared, alone, and vulnerable in that dark gloomy hallway. Then I heard it. What I had been dreading the most! That loud, annoying tardy bell! I thought for sure I would get a late slip and get sent to detention and maybe even kicked out of school. Then it all happened very quickly. My next class teacher, Mr. Wright, pulled me in the door and let me know that was where I was supposed to be. I was so relieved and from that day on, I had a special bond with Mr. Wright.
As you can expect, after that day, I promised myself I would never let that happen to me again. After many days of not wanting to be there, I thought of something I could do to help me feel less vulnerable and more comfortable in this new school. I thought and thought about what I could do to make new friends and something I loved to do. Then I heard about basketball tryouts and immediately signed up. This decision was a great one. The moment I walked on to the court, I felt comfortable and started getting to know some of the other players.
On the first day of basketball practice, I met two boys named Ricky and John who were also sixth graders. We got to know each other and started hanging out. I thought this was great that we all had a lot in common and enjoyed being together. We would always talk at lunch and play soccer during recess. Finally I was finding a place in this new school and was playing the sport I loved the most with my two good friends.
As I look upon starting High School now, I feel a lot more comfortable because I have my two good friends that came with me from middle school. Now I am making new friends easily. Everyday at lunch and in activities, I talk and meet new people.
All in all, my time in middle school was very helpful for me in learning how to handle changes. I had come from a very small private elementary school and didn’t know what stepping out of my comfort zone was like. Middle school really was helpful in showing me how to do this and helped me see that making new friends really is not as difficult as I thought it would be. I can always look back at that little boy in the dark hallway and see how far I have come. This was a valuable lesson to me as I realize life is all about changes.