By BeingGirl Teen Author, Lindsay

For some people, going into a new grade is a hard thing to do. Some of you girls who are reading this right now are probably even going into a new school. If you are worried about middle school, there are three things to keep in mind: have great friends by your side, know what's ahead of you, and stay out of trouble. Want to know how? When you think about it, it's easy.

Having a good friend to be there for you is the easy part. If you be yourself, you're bound to make tons of friends who care about you. Or, if you just look around for someone you know at lunchtime, it's easy to make sure you're not the kid sitting alone. Another great way to make a friend is to invite the kid that's sitting alone over to eat lunch with you.

Knowing what's ahead of you is the harder one. It's not like you can see into the future and know how difficult the tests are in the new school year. All you have to do is ask someone who is already surviving middle school above you for a couple of tips on the teachers, the food, the class work, and pretty much everything else. Soon, you'll know enough to stay away from big surprises.

Staying out of trouble...where do I begin? There's staying out of trouble in homeroom, at lunch, and everywhere else in the school. And, take my word for it, common sense is a must when surviving middle school. Even the cafeteria staff have links to the principal, so don't let them catch you doing anything stupid.

Well, one thing that I haven't talked about yet is school shopping. Yeah, a lot of us LOVE shopping for school clothes and supplies. But, remember, there are smart choices and the other choices. There's that expensive, cute skirt that you've seen on TV and always wanted, but there's also those shorts that you NEED for gym. Now, this is a good example of the smart choice and the not-so-smart choice. I think you get the idea. Remember, being prepared and organized REALLY helps for the rougher times when surviving middle school.

Getting into the swing of things is probably the hardest thing to do. You forget where your classes are, you can't find your bus, and you can't get adjusted to your new schedule. It's easier if you try to memorize everything slowly. Pretty soon, you'll remember everything and know the school like the back of your hand.

Now, I'm sure that everyone's heard of peer pressure and bullying. Usually, the first things that people think of are the cool and popular people. There will always be certain cliques in your school that you would probably rather stay away from. Don't ever think that you're being a snitch if you ask a teacher for help because someone bullied you. It's better to be safe than sorry.

There's just one more thing that I want to say for concluding advice: Set goals for yourself and keep going until you reach them. In the new school year, this will help you more than you'd think!