I didn’t work hard in middle school. Like, ever. I did my homework some of the time, I listened in class most of the time, and I got As and Bs on my tests all of the time. It was basically every 7th grader’s dream scenario. I don’t remember having studied once in middle school, and I thought that was a-okay as long as I got good grades. Boy, was I wrong.
After never having studied pretty much ever, I got to high school and realized that I didn’t know how to study at all. I’m still not very good at it. Freshman year midterms were one of the scariest academic obstacles I had ever faced, because I didn’t know how to tackle them. I looked at my notes, I read my textbooks, and I made flashcards or whatever, but I couldn’t absorb any knowledge. I didn’t know what worked for me. I didn’t learn that in middle school when I should’ve.
What I wish I had known in middle school was that the grades don’t matter. It doesn’t make a difference if you get all C’s or all A’s, as long as you’re passing. There’s no GPA to worry about. If you get a D in math in 6th grade and an A in 9th, your dream college will be none the wiser. Focusing strictly on the percentage you get on your 7th grade English test won’t get you half as far as focusing on how to get that percentage to where you want it to be.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t care about academics in middle school. In fact, the opposite is true. Focus on academics, just don’t get caught up in the grade. Work on your study habits. Try hard. Learn how to think complexly and to make decisions that will benefit you in the long run. Don’t just absorb, learn. Good study habits won’t come from good grades, but good grades will come from good study habits.