Our Ask a Teen expert is experienced in all sorts of scenarios and is often heard giving advice to her friends. Ask a Teen will lend an understanding ear to teens and give helpful advice from her own perspective.
Mia is finishing her last year of high school with ease after experiencing all the ups and downs as many teens do. As an active member on student council, Mia has mastered dealing with every issue that school can throw at you. She has mentored and tutored younger students, and knows the exact advice to give them to help make their lives easier. What better advice can you receive about your children than from an expert teen? She’s willing to answer any questions and offer excellent advice, so send in any questions that you or your children have and she will help!
Q: I’m extremely nervous to go back to school this year. I had a rough end to the last year, and I’m dreading the beginning of the school year. How do I overcome this?
A: Whenever I go back to school, I like to think of it as a fresh start. You have new pencils, new markers, new clothes and new classes with different people. Remind yourself that since it’s a new year, you’re able to start it however you want to. You can form a new friend group or you can set new goals for yourself, but it all depends on your attitude. If you enter the school year miserable and gloomy about the past, then you will only give yourself a negative start to the new school year. However, if you are optimistic and see the new opportunities you have for the school year, the beginning of the year will flow much more easily! It’s all about what you make of it.
That being said, even if the beginning of the year is rough at first, don’t panic — I promise it will improve! I remember the first-week-of-school where I would come home and cry, because nothing seemed to be working out. However, those moments do not sum up your entire year. There will be other moments in your year that you will remember and they will outshine all of the bad memories. Whenever I look back on my previous years, I see all of the positive memories; such as laughing with my friends or being super proud of a grade I received. It’s inevitable to avoid some bad moments from happening, but be sure to not let them define your year!
Lastly, be happy! The happier you are, the happier people will be around you. Laugh a lot and make jokes about scary situations. Sit with friends in class, do work with other people and smile whenever you have a chance. You can create the best years of your life by simply approaching the year with joy!
Everyone gets a bit nervous for school, but don’t approach it with negativity, never let bad memories define your year and be happy!
Q: I really want to be more known in my school this year… how can I make a name for myself?
Once you have a core group of friends, popularity will matter less to you. However, there are ways to make a name for yourself and be known by the school without dealing with drama or dropping friends. All you need to do is find something you love and get involved.
What matters to you the most in school? Is it planning events, academics, sports or clubs? It becomes much easier to adapt to your school life once you find an aspect that makes you happy. Personally, I love planning events and academics are very important to me. I found a route to pursuing these things outside the classroom through student council and tutoring. I got so happy planning events on student council and being responsible for fun days for the student body. This genuinely made me enjoy going to school more, since I found something I loved to do within the walls of the school.
Next, get involved and be the person who makes a difference! It doesn’t have to be a big council or role in the school, it can be a small committee that you can take charge of. My school allows you to make your own clubs and committees, so you can be the founder of a very popular club. Once you earn a role on a committee, you can make a difference in other students’ lives too and encourage them to join and get involved. This allows you to make a name for yourself in the school environment solely based on doing something you love. Whether it’s joining a pre-existing club that you’re passionate about, or taking a leadership position and creating your own, this can be your breakthrough moment in school!
Since I got involved, I have established a positive name for myself at school and it has also enhanced my high school experience since I get to participate in activities that I love!
This post was contributed by Mia Kobrin. Mia is currently completing her first year at the University of Western Ontario. She is continually invested in giving back to her community.
