October 02, 2023

Transitioning To A New School

Transitioning To A New School | BIS Chicago South Loop - Transitioning To A New School
Transitioning to a new school can indeed be challenging. It involves adapting to a new environment, making new friends, and getting used to different academic expectations. Isla and Allison have documented what their transition to British International School of Chicago, South Loop was like for them.

My Middle School Transition to BISC South Loop by Allison Z.

For the first few days, my transition to Middle School was quite difficult. Due to covid, I had only been inside of the school once, for a transition day, rather than the normal amount. Because of this, I got lost very easily, and in addition to that, the amount of homework was very different from elementary school. Furthermore, I wasn’t used to traveling to different classes each period and having to completely memorize my schedule. However, after the first few days, things got much easier, and after about 2 weeks, I got used to the routine of middle school, and all the things that I was having problems with before didn’t really bother me. Tests and assessments were also done differently, as was grading, but those things didn’t really cause me any stress. Overall, I would say that it was fairly smooth, and that I was fully transitioned after a couple weeks.

My Middle School Transition to BISC South Loop by Isla K.

When I transitioned into Middle School, It was surprisingly easy. I was so anxious on the summer break that I would get made fun of for being the youngest in the school, or that I would get lost or be late to class. However, on my first day everyone was surprisingly kind and welcoming. Right when I went into my advisory for the first time, I was instantly greeted and was later given an accurate schedule for the week with room numbers on it, which mostly eliminated the idea of getting lost. All of my teachers were so friendly and welcoming, they would always help us and be patient if we didn't understand the questions. Also, the students in older grades would be so nice to us. Most of them were not short tempered to me or others. Lastly, testing and grading was different, but it was easy to adjust to as it was not to complicated. Overall, it was easy to adapt to the new schedule and new year in general.

Top things that made me fall in love with BISC-South Loop Middle School

  1. Being with my friends
  2. Fun Classes
  3. P.E/Games
  4. I love how the school is next to collection of shops
  5. The teachers are very funny and nice
  6. Having snacks and buying snacks from the canteen
  7. Wide variety of subjects and fun classes
  8. Having security in our school
  9. More breaks throughout the year
  10. Students are funny and kind
  11. Wide variety of sports teams
Remember, it's normal to feel a bit anxious when transitioning to a new school, but with time and effort, it usually gets easier as you become more familiar with the environment and build new connections.