We at the Clog have noticed lately there’s been a renaissance of middle school-related media, and we’re here for it, ready to jump on the bandwagon ourselves. From “Big Mouth” to “Pen15,” we couldn’t help but think attending UC Berkeley is just like middle school. You thought the awkward years were over? Well, you thought wrong! Some things never change. Here are some key ways life at UC Berkeley is just like life during middle school.

You don’t want anyone to look at you (on Sproul)

Back in seventh grade, you mastered the art of looking small and avoiding eye contact because you just couldn’t stand the thought of someone looking at you. Although we hope you aren’t that awkward anymore, we understand that those same feelings come up when you walk across Sproul. You walk quickly through the throng of flyers and Sproulers with your head down repeating the mantra “don’t notice me, don’t notice me.”

You’re constantly having sleepovers (with your roommates)

Remember back when the highlight of every week was popping your retainer in at your best friend’s house and staying up all night chatting? Well, little did you know, but you’ve actually been living out your 12-year-old self’s fantasy with a sleepover every night! Although you may not be best friends with your roommates and stay up all night cramming for your CS midterm with them rather than heavily discussing your crushes, it still counts!

You’re really emotional (about school)

Back in middle school, literally anything could make you cry, but you could blame it on hormone haywire. If you think about it, nothing has changed… except you no longer have puberty to blame. From intense frustration over a problem set to arriving to your midterm only to find you forgot your cheat sheet (has this happened to anyone else?), time and time again UC Berkeley has brought you to tears. Dare we say that every time you open Gradescope, a single tear falls from your eye?

You’re always feeling excluded (from clubs)

In middle school, you constantly felt like you were missing out and that your friends were always hanging out without you. Now, at UC Berkeley you know that you’re being left out because you received that big fat “Thank you for applying to [insert life ruining organization here], but you suck and we like other people more than you” email from the club that you once thought was your dream. You were rejected after aforementioned organization boasted that they were “like a family” and that “you would fit in so well.”

You don’t have any clue who you are and what you are doing

Back in seventh grade everything was scary and news flash: it still is. Your 12-year-old self would be horrified to see that you don’t have it figured out and you’re still just as lost as when you scanned the gym for your friends at a school dance. This is one thing that Kanye’s gotten right.

Everyone is still really immature

Since we’ve already covered that you personally don’t have it figured out, we must remind you that neither does anyone else, so much to the point where students actually sabotage other students when it comes to midterms, grades and just about everything else that’s competitive here.

Let’s be honest, everyone at UC Berkeley acts like a friggin’ twelve year old — some can blame it on being a “young spirit,” while others can blame it on pure immaturity. At the end of the day, we all hope to learn to grow up one day.