For students starting middle school there can be a lot of mixed emotions. Some students have to start at a new school, which means a new building, new teachers and new friends. To help your middle school student cope take a look at some of these common fears.

Locker combinations: Some middle school students might have combination locks on their lockers for the first time. These locks can cause a lot of anxiety, as kids fear they will forget their combination or won’t be able to maneuver the lock correctly to get it open. To help ease your child’s fears try to get a similar combination lock (or the actual lock your student will use during the school year if they’re allowed to bring their own) and have them practice at home. Also make several copies of their combination so if they do happen to forget it they will be able to look it up.

Getting lost: While a lot of elementary students are allowed to stay in the same room for the majority of their school day, some middle schools require students to move from room-to-room for each class. This can cause anxiety as students fear not being able to find their way around the new school, and also being late for class. To help calm your child’s nerves arrange for a tour of the building before school starts. Once he or she gets their class schedule you can walk your child from room to room to make sure he or she knows the way.

Making new friends: Entering a new school with some unfamiliar faces can cause some students to become nervous. Especially if a lot of your child’s friends are not attending the new middle school with him or her, they might fear they will not make new friends. To help ease your child’s fears, try to arrange play dates with his or her friends from elementary school so they still have some stability as they start at a new school. Once they start to meet new friends try to encourage the new friendships by inviting the kids over to your home or to come along on some outings with your child. Also make sure your child is finding kids to sit with at lunch and to play with at recess.