I came to this country when I was 6 years old. My life in school was very hard but I made it through first through sixth grade pretty easily. Then 6th grade started and I actually had to study to do well, so I did and I did okay. After a while I stopped studying and I started to do poorly and I barely made it through 6th grade by passing the reading and math test.

I then told to myself that I was going t improve, but at the beginning of the year, I messed up with the teachers by talking too much and cursing at them. So the cycle repeated and I began to perform poorly once again. I went through the 7th grade having fun and barely passing. Then I moved on to eighth grade. I had mad fun this year, from the first day to the last. The first day I got elected class president and I had to make decisions and rule the class. Also, I got to organize a variety of parties.

All was "just fine", but in the second marking period I started to get worried because the math midterms were coming up and I did not understand anything. So I went straight home that afternoon and I studied. The midterm was the next day and I was studying like crazy the night before. The time for the test had come and I went to school that day. I was mad nervous when I went upstairs to take the test.

I tried to sit next to some smart kid, but the teacher moved me to the back of the room. So I had to take the test all by myself, but luckily I understood most of it and did what I could. Two days later, I got my test back and I did okay. I got a 66. I was so happy when I realized that I just have to study a little bit to get good grades. Then I spent the next few days having fun and just chilling.Then another big test came up called the Regents. Something really interesting happened during that test.

I was stuck on one problem and my teacher helped me out. Because of that teacher, I passed the regents with a 67. I got so lucky on that one. Then the hardest thing came up, which was to say bye to all my friends. That was really hard cause they were mad fun to chill with and we had some good times together. On the last day we went to watch a movie. That was mad fun and after the movie we went to play and stuff. We just chilled the whole day and that's it. Now I am volunteering at Harlem Live. It is fun to work here and type memoirs. I learned a thing or two about actually working to achieve what's needed for me to succeed; I plan to take that lesson to heart here at HarlemLive.

Links:

Slacker Central

Diary of a Slacker