Book excerpt: Transitioning from middle school to high school can be difficult for students, and while each student experiences it differently, there are some common themes that indicate helping students transition from middle school to high school may be worth considering. Students going from middle school to high school can experience a variety of emotions including fear, nervousness, excited, or anxious. How a student might feel about the transition process depends on many factors including the level of knowledge they have about the process, how prepared they are for the transition, and how many changes will be taking place. For students who are moving to an entirely new school in the neighborhood or transitioning from a smaller feeder school to a large integrated high school, life is going to change to some degree. Research on the transition process indicates that proactive planning may decrease students' negative feelings toward transitions and result in fewer disciplinary referrals, suspensions, tardiness, absences, incidents of hazing, and dropout rates.