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 Welcome to the Grade 7 Life Wiki.

Click the links on the left to read advice from former REAL LIFE GRADE 7 STUDENTS. You can also find a link to your Summer Reading Records and Reading Lists here!

Scroll down this page to read general advice before you explore the wiki. 

This is to all the 6th graders who are becoming 7th graders next year. These are some of the things I wish I knew at the beginning of the year. One of the biggest things about becoming older and getting more responsibility is organization. You should start by keeping your locker very neat and organized and have a binder or folder for every class which you keep organized with all your papers and materials. Your agenda is also another key to success. Always write down all of your assignments in your agenda and when they are due. I have had times where I forgot to write it down and it has had big consequences for me. I have had many grades dropped which could have been saved just by writing a few simple words on paper.


 * The second key** is responsibility. You have to be responsible to get to class on time and have all your school supplies and materials ready. You also have to be responsible for your actions and what you say. Think before you act or decide to say something because it might ruin something big for you or a big plan you had of achieving something.


 * The next thing is respect**. You should respect all your teachers and fellow students. If you show your teachers respect, you are showing them you are an adult and you can handle bigger and harder things and then they will respect you more and treat you more like an adult instead of a normal student.


 * Respect. Responsibility. Honesty. Organization**. Thank you and I hope you will consider how your life could change from what you do and the choices you make in school. Everything can change you life.

Overall, seventh grade isn't actually that scary if you just know what you're doing. Don't depend on your luck - just do a good job everyday and you are set! And also, don't be afraid to try new things and... (at least try to) have fun!  **In** seventh grade, many things change. For me, everything changed. My friends changed, my ideas changed, my attitude changed, my boyfriend changed, everything. Some things, things that are really important, don’t change. Some friends stay, and that means that they will always be there for you. __**So what I really advise you is to;**__ 1. **Stick to who you are** (don’t pretend to be somebody you’re not, you’re just wasting time, and nobody wants to be friends with a fake girl/guy!) 2. **Study!** Even when you think you know your science vocab, you don’t. And your grades will show it (believe me!).So if you want to have some As in there, S-T-U-D-Y 3. **Accept change.** 4. **Don’t overreact** (your life isn’t horrible, there are always good things when you look for them!) 5. **Step out of your confort zone.**  Yea, it gets pretty boring in there, so if you wanna make the best out of this year, get out there and try new things, cause you’ll NEVER regret it! 
 * You’ll** make new friends, and everything changes, but often it changes for the best. In seventh grade, the groups of popular, nerds, etc change too.
 * Don’t** be alarmed!!! Seventh grade is still an awesome year, and at the end of it, you feel like you know yourself way better than before.
 * It’s** really easy to think that everything's fine and that your grades are gonna stay up for ever. Always be careful and study especially hard towards the end of the year.
 * You** should sign up to more after school activities, or just participate in more stuff, because you have loads of fun that way.
 * If** something is changing, (your friends, your opinions, etc), don’t fight it. Just let the change come, and if it’s a bad one, than make the best out of it!
 * Do** your homework right when you come back from school, and never save it till later, but that’s a really hard thing to do, and I managed to survive this year without doing that 100% of the time.

For all future seventh graders out there: there’s a lot coming your way. So I’d like to give you some advice for next year to help you out. I can’t cover even half the tips and pointers that would help, so I chose some of the more important ones, especially concerning homework. I have learned that many students find that homework is one of the more difficult parts of school, worse even than getting along with strict teachers. This is understandable, considering many students have after school activities that take up time from right after school to late afternoon to sometimes even early evening, depending on the activities you sign up for.


 * The first piece of advice** is not to fall into bad habits at the beginning of the year. The reason for that is because it is really hard to get out of those bad habits after they become set into your schedule. For example, one day you come home and turn on the TV before doing your homework and then you do it the next day too; it soon becomes a habit that is hard to break. Obviously, TV programs are designed to try to keep you hooked. Soon you find that, after promising to turn the TV off after one show, another favorite of yours begins. Before you know it, its 7:30, time to eat dinner or take a shower, and you haven’t even opened your science book yet.


 * Another piece of advice** is if your teacher has a website where he or she posts homework, make sure you write down the address and check it regularly, just in case. Also, make sure you have at least two phone numbers of classmates, so that if you miss a class, you can always call and check what the homework is. You need at least two so that if the first correspondent doesn’t pick up, you can always call the second one. An important fact to know about seventh grade is that the teachers don’t take kindly to late homework. Even if you missed a class because you were sick, you MUST talk to the teacher immediately, or as soon as possible, so that you don’t fall behind in class. Something to know is that just because you don’t turn in homework the day it is due, doesn’t mean that you can’t turn it in the next day. Zeros bring your grade down a lot, even if it’s only one zero out of 25 A+’s. When you turn a homework piece in late, you might get 0.8 or 0.6 out of 1, depending on the day you turn it in and the teacher you get. Still, even a 0.6 is better than a zero. The difference between those two could mean the difference between an A+ and an A.


 * The last thing about homework**  that will help you out is the knowledge that teachers have certain expectations of students. If the teacher offers an extra credit project, you should always leap at the opportunity. This is not only to get a better grade, but to prove to the teachers that you are eager to learn and interested in the class that they are teaching. This interest should always be shown. Even if you don’t always understand what the teacher’s instructions are, you should always be able to get an A in participation and effort.

 **If you are reading this** you will realize like Oh! I’m moving to 7th grade. If you are so worried about moving up to 7th there is nothing to worry about. The teachers are so kind! Well since you are older you have to be responsible a lot and you should handle with how much homework there is. But in classes it’s really fun. They teachers are very nice and teach you very well. You will get a chance to meet other new friends and there are many things that the teachers might help you be friends with other friends. I don’t think there is anything to worry about. In 7th grade there are many quizzes and tests so you should be very well working and listen to teachers a lot. Most part of the quiz is about how well you participate in class. If you talk with other friends and don’t participate in class you will get bad grades. Also you will get a lot of chance to talk in class or concert in assembly.   **Grades**, don’t worry about it. In the first semester you might not do really well but, if you get used to it who knows, your grades might go up!! So when you get bad grades don’t worry about it. So I hope you enjoy 7th grade!

Dear future 7th graders, 7th grade is a whole new world. Compared to 6th grade, 7th grade would probably be the underworld. Don’t think you’re going to get a “peace” week. Right from the beginning it’s a tough. You’ll feel like you’ll never have a break at all. Major breaks will go by so fast. Friendship and socializing will dissolve right in front of your eyes…. and now for the truth... 7th grade is AMAZING; this is by far the best year of my entire life. This year will also put tremendous pressure on your backs and test you beyond your limits. This year will determine whether you will be accepted into an amazing trip called “Operation Starship”. <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); font-size: 80%;">Some manly advice, stock up on deodorant and take showers every chance you can get. You may not smell, but you will start to stink badly. Other people will notice it (especially the girls) but you will think that you smell of nothing. <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">7th grade is tougher than middle school. The teachers are tougher and expect a great deal out of you. During dances, don’t criticize the future 6th graders of what they do at dances, because you guys did some pretty stupid stuff too. Grow up, 7th grade isn’t a place to be immature and act like a kid. 7th grade is for places where maturity and common sense is highly expected. Be organized and work very hard. Sometimes you may feel like giving up and not try, sometimes you’ll feel extremely happy and work free.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">It <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 132%;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">is almost the end of the year, and we 7th graders are getting ready to move up to 8th grade. It seemed that the year went by really fast, yet, I have learned a lot of new things and have experienced different activities. I have also gained strategies that could possibly guide me to success in the future, and have advice for the current 6th graders that are soon going to move up to become 7th graders. <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">


 * The** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7th graders next year should know that they should always study and prepare for important tests or projects. Also they should know to always do your homework because when missing assignments stack up, it brings your grade down by a lot. The 7th graders next year should definitely know to read when they give reading assignments because they always give projects that have to do with the book. You should also know to listen in the class even though you probably know to do that already but if you don't listen in class you will definitely not be successful in 7th grade. <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">


 * All of these things** a <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-size: 110%;">re necessary to know and I would have been happy to have known these things from the beginning of 7th grade. If you don't know them by the end of 7th grade, you will most likely fail. Most of this advice is always told to do in school and you don't always do these things but in 7th grade you have to do these things. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">

<span style="font-size: 144%; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">**But** you shouldn’t worry about getting things right, or wrong and your friends making fun of you or whatever. Because you have to know that every single one of your classmates are going through the same thing that you will. You guys need to stick together!

Oh! I almost forgot: Supplies for school. Usually, for the girls, you should have “pretty” supplies. Like colorful notebooks, patterned folders and fun pencil cases. You will need for every single class your agenda and pencil case which the people in 7th grade are a little more strict about. You will also need, a folder and sometimes a notebook, like for Humanites. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Seventh <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">grade is awesome! In sixth grade you kind of freak out because you’re not used to middle school..But in seventh grade you don’t have to worry about that. Yes of course the classes are harder and you get more homework but it’s much easier to adapt to. You already know the fact that you have more teachers and that its really different from elementary school. In seventh grade you must be organized, if you aren't or if you don't try to be it could be very difficult. Use binders and folder and defiantly always use your agenda. You need to know where all your papers are and what your homework is, but that goes for every grade. Sometimes you have and old paper that you think you don't need anymore and you get rid of it. you might of needed that paper to study so before you throw it away ask your teacher if you need it. Seventh grade is probably the best grade in middle school, so make it a fun year for you, work hard.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 132%;">Hey <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">new 7th graders <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">, I bet you’re pretty excited about a new year at school with new teachers and new friends in your classes. I was too, and this year was a really fun year for me. But there are some things you should be aware of. At the beginning of 7th grade I was totally overwhelmed with all my teachers telling us how to act and how to behave in class and out of class. There were many expectations for us and it was too much at first but give it a couple of days everything will work out and 7th grade isn’t so hard.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Hey <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> future 7th graders! Just so you know, 7th grade is a lot harder than 6th grade. This is the time that you aren’t the young grasshoppers anymore, but you still are young. You should probably know some things that might help you get through the year alive. For example: you get a lot more homework, and teachers have less forgiveness with you! But the teachers are also really nice, even though they give you homework which we all, of course, hate. And the teachers will always remind you that you are preparing for High School! (which isn't really true, because you still have two full years to go until you get to suffer in High School).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 14.4pt; line-height: 115%;">For <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255); font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">the 6th graders who would be 7th graders you will have some advices for you next year. If you are a 7th grader next year, then you need good advices. Next year if you have a teacher like Mrs. Ulster you can go to her class website and post about your problems and get advices. If you are not in her class then you need better places where to get advices.


 * For example**, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255); font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> next year in 7th grade there will be a lot more tests than in 6th and there will be way more homework depending on who you get. Some teachers give a fair amount of homework and some teachers give a little bit more than the other teachers so you need to keep organized. If are not an organized person and your locker is a mess then you need to start planning ahead. You will also need good time management because at around the end of the year there will be many, many tests and you need to plan on how much time you are going to study.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">I know <span style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">you’re going to have such a fun time next year in your second year of middle school. We sure did! 7th grade was a really good year, with lots of new things happening and fun experiences to try. The year just whisked by; I can’t believe it’s almost summer again! 7th grade is not super hard, but it’s way more challenging than 6th grade and there are many more opportunities. The main thing is, don’t be worried. It’s not as scary going into 7th grade as it was starting middle school. You already know the rules and boundaries of MS, you already mostly know what it’s going to be like. 7th grade still has lockers and tardies, it’s really not that much different than 6th, except you’re not the youngest anymore in the middle school. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**Don’t be worried; you’ll do great!! **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">In <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"> 7th grade, try to manage your time so that half of your time you spend on homework and the rest on other stuff you’d like to do. Also try to examine how you do your homework best; while listening to music, in a quiet room, when you’re in your pajamas… it’s just whatever you like, because everyone works best differently. 7th grade is going to be a great year with some obstacles (like homework, projects, exams, and etc) and loads of fun! Good luck in 7th grade!


 * In general,** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">I think that you would hear: turn your homework in time, be nice to other people, don’t be late to class, etc., but I think that this isn’t real advice. I think that real advice is talking about more specific things like what to do on tests or essays. Telling you how to deal with schedules, homework or after P.E. are more important than talking about things that a first grader can tell you.


 * I’m pretty positive** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">that seventh grade would be a great experience for all of you. My last piece of advice is this: be prepared for anything because sometimes, something unexpected would happen and you have to be ready and take proactive measures for it!

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">General Thoughts: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">There is not much homework in seventh grade. We just have it everyday and there is an occasional a project once in a while. Management is important because one bad grade can have serious side effects. You should study, especially if you have tests. Seventh grade is fun. Choose good electives. Getting permission for color printing is a huge disadvantage as it brought my Spanish grade from 74 to 68. Excess use of technology has harmed my grade in Spanish A and possibly a retake of the same course. Sometimes assignments are undoubtedly annoying. Bring your supplies to class. Know that some teachers will be strict. Try your hardest. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 13.2pt; line-height: 115%;">In <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(0, 128, 0);"> 6th grade you were like elementary and now you are starting to become high school. All the habits you make now will stick with till 8th grade and probably high school, so watch out.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">In P.E., <span style="color: rgb(0, 128, 128);">you should bring deodorant or take a shower if you’re a boy. If you don’t, you would probably smell like a pig and no one will want to be your friend. You should always bring a can of deo handy. But don’t spray too much, if you do people won’t be close to you.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Don’t rush. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Never ever rush your work, because you don’t know how many errors you can make in one go. It’s really shocking. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Let me start <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">by saying that I had a wonderful time as a seventh grader. Coming in new to ISB I didn’t know what to expect. Once I had about three days in seventh grade I started to feel more confident. In seventh grade the key to success is doing your homework because many of the assignments will be graded and posted on Power School. Persistence is what teachers are looking for but besides that you’ll enjoy every second. I learned so much over the year and was surprised at how fast it has gone by. I have learned to not slack off because all though we do many fun things, there are many tests and projects assigned especially at the end of the year. You should be very proud to be a seventh grader.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Sixth <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">grade is so different from seventh grade. There are different teachers, different classrooms, different friends, so much things are different. I came to seventh grade feeling really nervous, but not as much as when I first arrived in middle school. When time came to start seventh grade I felt really pressured about my classes. Seventh grade is the halfway point through middle school. Don’t let it go to waste. These are the years that you will remember and treasure the most.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Seventh grade <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 0, 255);">is not the hardest thing to do. The only way you will live will be to follow some advice of previous seventh graders. Much homework is given and you would want to do more school activities and do things with friends. The only easy way to get through all of it is to follow your own schedule. Making your own schedule and following it will make life a lot easier and I have experienced it. In sixth grade you would have done more fun activities however in seventh grade it’s not as balanced. You would eventually get used to the homework balance.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Now <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255); font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">this year you will be taking friends over work all the time and procrastination will be huge but make use of your study time. The homework will be much harder after the first month of school and after the winter break it will be REALLY hard. In your language class you will probably have a bunch of work. I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR ESPECIALLY, MAKE TIME FOR HW!!!!!! <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 132%;">Welcome <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">to the beginning of the end, this year the work starts to get tough. It’s not high school, but it is no longer all fun and games. There are fun classes and there are serious classes, so you better have picked wisely.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Have fun.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> jump from sixth to seventh grade is, in my opinion, one of the biggest adjustments you make in school. Before seventh grade, it seemed like some teachers refused to give you an inch of room for creativity or fun, but in seventh grade it is much more relaxed. That’s not to say it is easy, by any stretch. Although the teachers are more relaxed on the little things, they expect more out of you and you get much more independent responsibility. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Well ,** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">first let me tell you ab out the fun you'll have. As well as the much learning you will do. And you will have many new things to discover. Like the friends and teachers. You'll even be part of a book club and get to have and use your own blog! But all this fun will be at its best if you won't have to go to detention because of being late or out of dress on the wrong days! You'll want to be with your friends and have fun! But if you follow these rules, you might just survive it!

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hey, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> are you nervous of becoming 7th grader? The 7th grade is very cool and I think you would like it. There is no big difference between when you were in 6th grade, yet, if there is one thing, I think you have more stuff to study.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">If <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">you are a sixth grader and think that it’s tough, well think again! 7th grade is a lot harder but also more fun. The work you get is hard and you get a crud load of homework, not to mention that your parents will probably annoy you all the time.

Over all I really liked seventh grade and I think you will too. The best advice I can give is just not to completely freak out about all the little things. Of course, a little bit of stress is good, it pushes you, but don't worry about things so much that you burn out.

Always remember that there are always other kids who went through the same things that you did; breathe.

<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">You should always be aware of your clothing, since one of the 7th grade teachers is really strict on that.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">I <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> am writing to you not as an 8th grader hopefully, but as a friend. Grade 7 is going to be much harder than grade 6, believe me I learned the hard way.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 144%;">Try using your locker because most of the teachers won’t even allow you to walk in with a backpack. You also have to keep track of what you keep inside, keep it nice. Don’t make the same mistake I did, it looks like a junkyard in there right now. Try to also organize your P.E. clothes right away because you may never know if you’re going to be doing things in the mud. So good luck; I think you’ll need it.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 14.4pt; line-height: 150%;">The <span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">most important thing is respecting others. If you want to be respected from others, you need to respect others first. Also, respecting others will make you focus on studying. Other people can be distractions or they can help. If you don’t respect others, they will be distractions. Also, respecting others helps your social study skills to develop. You could be not good at studying even though you studied so hard. What you need to have is respecting mind. This is because you will not succeed if you don’t have a respecting mind. You can succeed without a smart brain. These are my reasons why I’m trying to persuade you to have respect in your mind.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Seventh grade <span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia,serif; color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">is different from sixth grade. The teachers grade harder and it will really affect your grade if you don’t finish your assignment that was for homework you can’t get a good grade. I think the easiest was to get an A+ is to listen to the teacher very carefully and write down notes to remind you. There will be many quizzes almost every week and you have to be prepared. The work would also be harder to do. You have to study a lot and be prepared for everything. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I know <span style="line-height: 150%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> it’s tough in the beginning of the year, but you’ll get the hang of it! Even right now, I feel really nervous about 8th grade, but what helps me is, thinking back to the beginning of my year in 7th grade, and reminding myself that’s it’s just the BEGINNING! This year will be just fine! So don’t you worry, just get up and stick to it, because only by getting up will you move forward in life! Have fun!