The experiences of gifted students have been studied in many different aspects since the 1920s. However, there has been little in the existing literature regarding their own perceptions of their experiences. This study was conceptualized and executed to provide a glimpse into the daily academic and social experiences of gifted students in mainstream academic settings, through their own perspectives. A sample of gifted middle school students was obtained through a process of self-nomination and verification of giftedness. Through guided interviews and phenomenological reduction in the manner prescribed by Moustakas, the lived experiences of the participants were ascertained, described, and discussed. This study concluded that the lived experiences of gifted middle school students in mainstream classrooms could be represented by three dichotomous statements: Boredom and Interest; Out-of-Sync and Belonging; and Frustration and Acceptance. The essence of the phenomenon of being gifted in a mainstream academic setting was found to be one of acceptance of an imperfect academic and social setting, which manages to meet many but not all needs of the gifted student.