Problem: Article: Eighth grade is a great time to try new things, so consider signing up for a new activity you haven't done before. You could join the journalism team, audition for the school play, try out to be on a sports team, or run to be on student council If you already belong to a club or team that you enjoy, stick with it and see if there are ways you could be even more involved, like running for club president. If there is something you are interested in that doesn't already have a club, try starting one yourself. Print out flyers to hang around school advertising an initial meeting for people who might be interested, and use social media to help spread the word, too. and gossip so you can focus on having fun with friends. In eighth grade, there might be a lot of drama as people try to define who they are and assert themselves on the social ladder. Try to stay away from gossip and drama if you canin the end, you will have more friends and enjoy your last year of middle school more if you don't involve yourself in that kind of thing. If you have a friend who gossips, either about you or about someone else, you may want to consider distancing yourself from them or explaining to them that they're hurting your feelings. Introduce yourself to people in your classes if you don't already know them, invite people to sit with you at lunch, and try to be social when you're at school events or extracurriculars. While it's important to meet new people and can be really exciting to make new friends, don't forget about the friends you already have. Try to be inclusive and bring people together. If you are trying to make new friends, look for people who are kind and who share similar interests with you. Maybe there is someone in your class who you've been friendly with but haven't actually spent time with beforeask them if they want to get together sometime! If your old friends are starting to get into trouble by going to older parties or experimenting with drugs or alcohol, it may be time to find some new friends to hang out with. You don't want to get in trouble, risk getting suspended or grounded, or put yourself into harmful situations. You could also try to talk to a friend who is participating in dangerous activities and tell them you're concerned for them. Or, tell a trusted adult, like a parent or guidance counselor, if you're worried about your friend's safety. and stand up for others who are picked on. Part of having a great final year of middle school is setting yourself up as a leader, and leaders don't bully others. Instead, be kind to others and try to see the good in everyone. Chances are, everyone else feels just as nervous as you about transitioning from middle to high school! If you notice ongoing bullying at your school, report it to a school official and to a trusted adult. Brush up on your small talk to practice for meeting new people in high school, and try to speak up in class when you know the answer or have ideas of your own. This will help you gain confidence, which is important to having a happy social life because others are drawn to people with confidence. Speak clearly and make eye contact with others when you speak with them. You'll appear confident even if you don't feel that way. Eighth grade is a great time to start being more social with your friends. Your parents are probably willing to let you have a little more freedom, so with their permission, plan some evening and weekend events so you can spend more time with your friends. Fun ideas include taking a trip to an amusement park, hosting a movie marathon, going to a local park for a picnic, or having a game night. If you are trying to make new friends, inviting others to a fun event is a nice way to get to know people. Spending time with your friends in eighth grade helps strengthen your friendship as you begin to think about heading to high school.
Summary: Join a sports team or a club if you haven't already. Avoid drama Make new friends without ditching your old ones. Avoid being a bully Try to join in conversations and share your ideas with others. Plan fun events with your friends outside of school.

Problem: Article: The phrase "wo ai ni" () is the most literal way to say "I love you" in Chinese. This is considered an expression of extremely strong emotion and is never used casually. Use this phrase to express a lifelong love for someone in a more formal situation or serious occasion. For example, you might say this to your new spouse at your wedding, or on an anniversary. The phrase "wo ai ni" () is not just romantic. It can also be used to express love between family members. However, as with romantic partners, it wouldn't be used off-handedly in a casual setting. A Chinese person would probably look at you strangely if you said "wo ai ni" () to them especially someone you just started dating or have a crush on. A literal translation of the phrase "wo xi huan ni" () would be "I like you," but it is actually the most common way to say "I love you" in Mandarin Chinese. This phrase is also used in more casual situations where "wo ai ni" () would be considered out of place. For example, you might say it to your romantic partner before the two of you go your separate ways. Texting is very popular in China and a text short-hand has emerged to express your feelings for someone using numbers rather than the words themselves (either in Chinese or in English). The numbers are used in place of Chinese characters because the word for the number in Chinese is pronounced roughly the same as the character itself. Some romantic Chinese text message abbreviations include: 520 (wu er ling) stands for "wo ai ni" (I love you) 770 (qi qi ling) stands for "qin qin ni" (kiss you) 880 (ba ba ling) stands for "bao bao ni" (hug you) 530 (wu san ling) stands for "wo xiang ni" (miss you). This phrase can also be interpreted to mean that you're thinking about the person. While it's not Chinese, many Chinese speakers will switch to English when they want to tell someone they love them. Primarily, they do this because the phrase "wo ai ni" () is considered far too strong or too serious. If you're just saying "I love you" in a casual moment, such as when getting off the phone, it would probably be more appropriate to say it in English than to say it in Chinese.
Summary:
Say "wo ai ni" () to literally say "I love you" to someone. Go with "wo xi huan ni" () to express romantic feelings. Use numbers to say "I love you" in a text message. Try simply saying "I love you" in English.