By - The Ultimate AH...

During the three years I spent in middle school, which I started at Hillwood College in 2019, as a grade
six student, I had really good moments with my teachers, my friends, and maybe with the bullies as well
( I call them that ), but now, here I am about to be thrown into high school ( if that’s what you call it ) in
less than two weeks. It made me wonder because I am a clumsy and insane dude, in eighth grade, 13
years old, and completely unprepared for the challenges awaiting before my path. With that, I realized
how much I'd taken middle school for granted, rushing through each day without truly appreciating it.

So, according to me, they are the years in which you find yourself, you figure out who you are, what
your capabilities are, and even what you should improve or more specifically the weak points of your
own. You find friends, which may of course change throughout the years till you find your best match,
maybe even for a gang (which is way better than hanging out with everybody in my point of view.) It’s a
place where belonging and fitting in are more important than academics.

If I am being honest with you all, I wasn’t even aware of the fact that these years would be more
complicated or that I was just a five - year - old compared to the outsiders, whom I never noticed were
quite a lot better than me ( not that you should compare yourself to others ). I was, in fact so depressed
during my first week which was pretty rush and there was a point where I dreaded going to school and
asked my parents to let me stay home. But, after some time, I decided to just face whatever I needed to
at school. A point where I got stronger mentally and didn’t need to avoid going there for a few people
whom I thought utterly despised me. However, I realized that having friends is the main reason why
school became interesting later on and when I found my real friends, I was beyond content that I found
the idea of going to school rather enthusiastic. Apart from that, I was a crybaby and gradually, I started
transforming and adapting to the new environment. Plus, I still am proud of myself for getting rid of my
tearful-alter-ego. Besides, I was most of the time, called some kind of a know-it-all with my nose stuck in
a book, which I was not, I say. I mean, come on, does touching your textbooks just to study for the tests
gets to count as evidence for me being a book worm? Absolutely not. But even if I was, I won’t be willing
to change it as what you are is what you are no matter what others say.

Especially, when you approach your teenage years, which is rather cool to brag about, many things
change about you which most importantly includes, your perspectives about things that surround you,
the qualities you acquire. Sometimes you may feel like a psycho, but it’s normal as far as I know. For
example, being unable to control or identify your feelings and emotions clearly.

All these things happen, cause the fuss inside your brain, that interfered you from seeing the things
around you clearly as a small kid, gets unloaded, according to me. As I felt, things like self–confidence,
the ability to stand up for yourself, making friends, and even to shoot back sarcastic remarks! Were
something I gained, though that’s not all. These things helped me to get through a lot of stuff, like sports
I did, like netball, to which I was chosen on the first Wednesday I began attending school, term tests,
where I sucked at first and then got better at and to manage activities in clubs and associations I had
joined.
But, unfortunately, after all these eventful years, the Covid-19 pandemic hit people, and all the schools
and their activities came to an abrupt break. We had to attend online sessions which were boring
without the ability to meet friends and teachers in person. However, partly, we got access to technology
all thanks to the pandemic itself. That’s nature anyway. Having both an advantageous and a
disadvantageous side.

But the worst of it all was my parents, getting infected by Corona. I wasn’t infected, thanks to all the
steps my parents had taken and we were subjected to self-quarantine where I was subjected to
numerous Rapid Anti Germs tests and PCR tests (which were gladly, negative and believe it or not, I
enjoyed the quarantine period).

Now, to conclude this small article (though it may sound trite), I have to state some things that would
be useful for you (reader) in future and may be this very second. Things do get better. Everybody goes
through hardships. It’s up to you how you deal with them, and how you get through them. If you’re
going through something, speak to someone, because fake happiness is truly the worst sadness. Go to
school. No matter how two-faced people are, how hard they work is: school is important. Focus on what
matters the most. Your family, your friends, your education. Don’t get distracted by things that won’t
matter in the long run. And eminently… “Don't mistake activity with achievement