6th graders are starting Middle School strongly and confidently, with one exception: stress over exams as well as how to study. In order to get their train back on track, we asked 8th graders to jump in with help, resulting in little tips and tricks from these old-timers on how to survive academically.
Change is hard, especially the jump from elementary school to middle school. But most 6th graders are relishing the new environment. 6th grader Saran Johar enjoys having different classes and classrooms and the freedom to go to them on her own or with a friend. “The Middle School style is much easier,” she says. She even seems confident about the workload. “Right now, we’re basically doing 5th-grade review and it’s pretty easy.”
Johar does expect the workload to pick up later on. “I feel like we’re probably gonna get more homework by the end of the year,” she says. For now, however, she is focused on how to study for the upcoming exams. When we talked to 6th graders, these final assessments came up as the most frequent question. The 6th grade seems to have caught a wave of “exam phobia.” Multiple students worriedly voiced their concerns to us regarding how to study for something so information-packed. In addition to exams, 6th graders take multiple science quizzes containing lots of material. 6th grader Joanne Alexander wonders, “How do you study for your cumulative science tests?”
Well, let’s take a look at what some 8th-grade veterans have to say.
8th-grader Holly Johnson advises making “your own quizlets instead of using other people’s, because that helps you learn by finding definitions and putting things in your own words.” She adds, “For math, I would look up old study problems from Schoology or Sadlier and old tests. I would redo your old tests and study guides too.”
8th-grader McKenzie Love Jordan agrees. “Look over your tests and see what you got wrong . . . then study and practice fixing those mistakes over and over and over again,” she says.
8th-grader Katherine Su prods 6th graders to use their time wisely. “I would definitely number one take opportunities of office hours,” she says. Su also suggests surrounding oneself with responsible students. “Find a group of friends that wanna study with you,” she says.
8th-grader Sayari Kariru encourages being prepared and not procrastinating. “Don’t just study when you have a quiz or a test; be studying every day for like half an hour, so you’re already prepared,” she says. Kariru especially emphasizes reviewing ahead of time in regards to exams. “Start studying early!”
To manage the everyday workload that will pick up later in the year, the 8th-graders agree on the importance of organization. Su advises finding a way to monitor your classwork and homework. “[Use] an assignment tracker, like Google Calendar,” she says. Jordan offers further organization advice. “Make dividers in your binder for loose paper, handouts, tests, quizzes, etc., so you can have everything organized for exams,” she says.
6th graders, you got this! On behalf of the Middle School, we hope this advice helps. Keep calm and study on.