High School vs Middle School

Making the transition from middle school to high school can be scary. I know it was scary for me... being in a new and bigger school, around different and older students, and learning harder information. So I thought I'd compare middle school to high school to give you an idea of the difference between the both. I hope this information will make the transition a little less scary!

TRANSPORTATION

Middle School - In my case (and for the middle schools around me) a school bus would make stops in the morning before school to pick up students. After school, the buses would be waiting outside to take students near their homes. Every school is different, but going to high school and not having this was very different for me.

High School - In most high schools you will need to figure out your own transportation to get to school and to get home. Every year of high school my transportation changed, however it all depends on what works for you and how far you are from the school. If you live a five to fifteen minute walk from your school it would be smart to just walk and save money. If you live further than that, you have many options available to you... this includes car pooling with a friend near your home, seeing if your parents can drive you, busing, or taking a taxi. If you don't have a friend to car pool with or if your parents aren't available to drive you then I suggest busing!

CLASSES

Middle School - Your school system may be different from mine, but in my middle school I had seven classes a day for around 45 mins. I didn't have semesters, I pretty much alternated between different classes every day. If you went to a middle school where you had six or seven classes a day... high school will be very different for you. Also, in middle school I was not allowed to change my schedule around to take certain classes... which is not the case in high school.

High School - If you don't live in British Columbia your school system may be completely different than mine, but if you do live here I'm sure that this information will help you. I had the same four classes a day and each class lasted an hour and fifteen minutes. In middle school I thought that 45 minute classes were long, but going to high school made those 45 minute classes seem like nothing! It will seem long at first but you do adjust to your schedule and it will soon feel normal. As for changing classes, I was allowed to change my schedule which I was so grateful for! If you do decide to change your schedule make sure to make an appointment with your counsellor or whoever you need to AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! There are a lot of students that want to change their schedule too!

LUNCH BREAK

Middle School - In middle school, I was only allowed to stay on school grounds during lunch time. It may be different for you depending on the school you went to, but the schools near me had the same policy. Since everyone in my middle school wasn't allowed to leave school grounds we didn't have much freedom.

High School - Finding out that everyone was allowed to go places during lunch times was very different for me. I was given so much more freedom. I would always bring my own food to school because I wasn't a fan of my schools cafeteria, but when my friends wanted to go out it was nice knowing that we could go anywhere during lunch time. Starbucks was a ten minute walk from my school so it was nice going there every once in a while to hang out. Just know that if you are going out during lunch time... make sure to get back to school in time to get your books and make it to class.

IN CLASS RULES

Middle School - In middle school you are from the ages of eleven to fourteen which is pretty young, so because of that there are more strict rules that you have to follow. The most common rules are that you have to ask to leave the bathroom, walk to an assembly with your class and teacher, and be given guidance for most things. In high school there are still rules... but not as strict because you are now a teenager and know basic concepts about safety and how to be respectful.

High School - If you are entering high school you are either thirteen or fourteen so you will notice that teachers will be strict but that's only because you are new to high school. The years after are when teachers won't be as strict with you because they know you are familiar with the school, what is expected of you, and how to show respect. You will still need to ask to leave the classroom, but it's just so that the teacher knows you aren't skipping class. If you be respectful to the students in your class and teacher you shouldn't have any problems!

SOCIAL LIFE

Middle School - I think that middle school has changed since the last time I was there, but from my experience the social life most students had was hanging out with friends at the mall, going to the movie theatre, bowling, or having sleepovers. There was no drinking, drugs, or sex... but every school is different so you may have done some of these things... but I REALLY hope not!

High School - High school is full of teenagers and young adults which are the most common years to start going to parties, drinking, trying drugs (hopefully NOT the case for you), and having sex. If all of this is new to you it may be scary at first to be around people who do this.. but know that just because other people may be doing some of that it DOESN'T mean you have to. You might feel pressured to try, but you definitely don't need to if you don't want to. I cannot say that enough, because if you don't drink... no ones going to judge you. If you don't take drugs... no ones going to judge you, and the list goes on. If you do decide to drink just know your limits, if you decide to party just make sure you are in a safe environment, if you want to try drugs... just really think first before actually doing it, if you decide to have sex... make sure it's something you actually want to do and feel ready to do so, because giving up something like that is so personal... and you don't want to do it just because you want to get it over with. Overall, just make sure you think before you do something... you will thank yourself later!

I hope you have an idea now of what high school is like and can make smart decisions! High school is suppose to be a positive experience so make sure to make the most of it!

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if you have anymore questions or would like to talk personally, message me on instagram, or email me: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlys_campus/ & kimzavera28@gmail.com

new blog posts every thursday!

xoxo

kimberly

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