Truly, I believe that I wish I’d realized that junior high doesn’t mean anything.

Only about half of the people I went to junior high with followed me to high school. I was only there for two years, so I should have tried out a few more things like theater or yearbook or maybe tried out for team sports. My comfort zone was a good place for me but it means that I missed out on some opportunities. So, don’t squander the chances to learn more about yourself. You can try those opportunities later in life, but then you have far more items on the to-do list that need to be balanced. Better to do it when you have the time.

Junior high is an emotional time. You make friends, you lose friends. But it’s not the end of the world. Nothing that happens in junior high is the end of the world. In fact, 18 years later you will be sitting in your apartment and not remember a thing about what happened in junior high.

Boys are SO not important in junior high. And also, don’t listen to your friends when they tease you about a crush or a guy that you talk to. It’s not a big deal and those comments shouldn’t influence your actions (but they will, so learn how to deal with the consequences).

But most of all, just have fun. I know everyone says that, but ride the waves through the ups and the downs. I promise that eventually things will get better. One day, you won’t have to share a room with your sibling. It’s an exciting possibility.