Dear Holly,

Next year will be my first year of middle school, and I’m really, really nervous. I’m not really used to changing classes, and I’m worried I’m going to forget everything and get lost. Should I be nervous?

Elementary School Drop Out?

Dear Elementary School Drop Out?,

Not only is it completely normal for you to be nervous, but it’s actually kind of a good thing. While you don’t want to be so nervous that you get physically sick or that you worry too much, a little bit of nervous energy just says that you care enough to want to do good. Also, it might make you feel better to know that every fifth, eighth, and twelfth grader is going through exactly what you are right now. So, in order to answer questions all across the board, I’ve split this answer up into three sections:

If you’re entering middle school next year: Congratulations! The move from lower school to middle school is one where you receive a lot more freedom than you’re used to. Next year, you’ll have a morning break, a lunch break, change out in P.E., a study hall, switch classes all day, and will be able to be a part of some awesome clubs. But, with so many new aspects, there comes a lot of responsibility. You’re going to have to learn how to study, manage time, and keep up with your stuff. My advice is to stay organized (if you need help with this, I’m sure a friend, parent, or older sibling would be happy to help you), make sure you ALWAYS do your homework, and please make sure you wash your gym clothes! Another thing that might help is to talking to an older brother/sister/peer and see what they have to say. I know it sounds scary, but I can promise you that everything will turn out alright in the end. You can do it!

If you’re entering high school next year: Congratulations! If you’ve made it through middle school successfully, then you should be excited for high school! In all honesty, high school is basically like a fast-paced middle school with a lot more freedom. This upcoming year, you’ll get an advisory group, Fun Friday’s, be able to join and create clubs, and start playing sports at a more competitive level. The biggest difference in high school and middle school, though, is that the teachers give you more independence to do your work. In other words, you’re going to have to learn how to study and manage your time on your own. My general advice is to make sure you stay organized, ALWAYS DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND STUDY, don’t procrastinate when you have open due dates (do not wait until the night before to read a book for Ms. Baker), and keep an open mind. High school is a time that you really can discover new things about yourself and try new things. It’s been some of the best years of my life, and even though I’m excited about college next year, I know I’m going to miss it, so enjoy it while you can. I promise, it goes faster than you think. You can do it!

If you’re entering college next year: Congratulations! You’re in the same boat that I am! To be honest, I’m kind of nervous too, but I’m excited. While I don’t really know what to expect, I believe enough in myself and what I’ve accomplished this far to know that I’m going to be okay. The same goes for you. The biggest piece of advice I can give here is to believe the same thing for yourself. Even if you’ve not done as good in high school as you would like to, you can look at college as a fresh start. Like high school, college is a place to really find yourself and solidify your identity. My advice is the same for anyone: do your homework, stay organized, keep an open mind, and stay true to yourself. If you do all that, there’s not a doubt in my mind that you’ll be great. You can do it!

So, in short, just relax. Being in one of these transition phases should be more exciting than it is terrifying. Plus, think about it this way, if you weren’t ready for it, you wouldn’t be in the position you’re in right now (about to move to sixth or ninth grade or graduate). You only get one chance at life, so enjoy it while you can. I promise, if you stay true to yourself, put your best effort forward, and do all of this with a little bit of kindness, you’ll turn out just fine. You can do this. I know you can.

Sincerely,

Holly Brantley

Dear Holly,

It is the end of the year, and I am officially done. I know it sounds bad, but I’m tired of school, and I’m ready for summer. How do I keep my motivation, so my grades don’t start to suffer, and I don’t fail all of my APs?

TBH-Done-Since-December

Dear TBH-Done-Since-December,

Welcome to senioritis or, maybe, in your case junior or sophomore-itis. With summer approaching and hopefully soon with consistent warmer weather (yes, I’m looking at you, North Carolina), it’s easy to be tempted to forget about school work and officially put your brain in “summer mode.” As a senior, I can firsthand assure you that the struggle is real, but I’ve discovered some really helpful tips/tricks/hints that really work.

To start off with, the reason you’re having this problem is probably because you’re burned out (i.e you’re just tired). If this is the main problem, the solution is easy. While school work is definitely important, your physical and mental health should always come first. Start off by trying to get at least eight hours of sleep (more if you’re in middle or lower school), making sure you’re drinking plenty of water, and try to eat somewhat healthy. As far as keeping yourself sane, I’d suggest doing something everyday that is just for you, whether it’s binge watching a show on Netflix, taking a run, writing, or literally just sitting in silence for a few minutes. It will amaze you what just a few peaceful, completely selfish minutes can do to improve your mood and overall well being. Also, following a loose schedule could be beneficial. For example, when I get home from school, I do my homework, eat dinner, take a shower, and then read/write/watch TV until I go to bed at around ten. By having a loose idea of what I’m doing everyday, that really helps me focus.

If this doesn’t work, I’d suggest reminding yourself of why you’ve worked so hard in the first place. Just think that you’re doing all of this hard work in order to get ready for next year! Another thing you want to keep in mind is that if you’ve worked hard all year, you don’t want to ruin your grades just because you stopped caring for the last three weeks. In fact, even if you haven’t done as well as you’d like this year, it’s always good to go out with a bang. We’re so close, it’d be a shame for all the hard work you’ve done so far this year to be put to waste.

In other words, we’re about a month away from the end of school. One month. Anybody can do something for a month. You’re so, so close so hang in there! I know you can do it!

Sincerely,

Holly Brantley

Dear Holly,

I don’t know how easy it is to get on your nerves, but it’s easy to get on mine. I cannot stand when people tap their feet or tap their pencils or click their tongue or anything else like that when I’m in class, even if it’s just during the lesson. It drives me insane, and I can’t concentrate. How do I nicely tell people to knock it off without sounding like a jerk?

For-The-Love-of-All-Things-Holy-Quit-Tapping-That-Pencil!

Dear For-The-Love-of-All-Things-Holy-Quit-Tapping-That-Pencil!,

Let me just preface by saying that you are not the only person who has this issue. I can think of at least three people off of the top of my head who struggle with being irritated with small noises such as tapping a pencil or tapping feet. It does not mean you’re a bad person, it just means you’re human. Everyone has things that get on their nerves. It’s just human nature. Unfortunately, this is a problem that can be tricky to solve, especially if the person who is making these noises is doing it unintentionally.

If these noises are happening in study hall, I’d suggest using earphones if your study hall teacher allows it. If your teacher does not allow earphones, or if this is not a class where you can use earphones, I’d suggest just asking whoever is making the offending noise to stop. There is nothing wrong with kindly asking someone to stop doing something.  If someone were to come up to me and very nicely ask me to stop tapping my pencil, it wouldn’t bother me one bit. You can say something like, “Hey, I know you probably don’t realize, but you tapping your pencil (or whatever else it is that they’re doing) is really distracting me. Can you stop, please?” Most of the time, people who tap their feet or pencils don’t even realize they’re doing it, so try to keep that in mind too. Most likely, they’re not trying to get on your nerves, it’s just something they do out of habit. If the noises continue and the person forgets to stop/doesn’t stop, it may be time to talk to your teacher and ask them to either move you or move the person making the noise.

Sincerely,

Holly Brantley

Dear Holly,

I’ve never used one, but I’ve heard a lot of talk about these things called juuls lately.What’s the deal with them?

At-Least-I-Know-The-Difference-in-Juuls-and-Jewels

Dear At-Least-I-Know-The-Difference-in-Juuls-and-Jewels,

That is a very good question! Put simply, a juul is basically an electronic cigarette that was originally made to provide an alternative to smoking. In fact, they were originally marketed to try and get adults who smoked to stop smoking and provide a “safer” alternative to smoking. But, unfortunately, the truth is that juuls have some pretty serious health effects as well.

Juuls are what you may consider a “nicotine delivery device.” Nicotine is also found in cigarettes and is what makes them so addictive. Also, like smoking, juuling has also been linked to causing lung (and bladder) cancer, as you are inhaling particles in your body that really shouldn’t be there. Not only that, but it turns out that people who use a juul are much more likely to try smoking cigarettes than those who do not use juuls. Also, this may seem like a no-brainer, but juuls can really make your breath stink!

While I know you didn’t ask this question to get a lecture, I do think it’s important to state that while juuling is better than smoking, that’s sort of like saying having one broken foot is better than having two broken feet– both are pretty terrible. To be completely honest, I’m not sure why anyone would want to smoke a juul or anything else for that matter if it’s so detrimental to your health. Even if someone says they’re just “trying it,” why would you want to try something that might make you sick?

Basically, my advice to you is to educate yourself of juuls, but not through experience. Your health is worth so much more than possibly looking “cool.” In fact, I think being healthy and having good breath is a lot better than being cool. You’re better than that, and you’re worth more than that.

Sincerely,

Holly Brantley

Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vaping-health-effects-rising-use-among-teens/

Dear Holly,

I am nervous about applying to colleges in the fall and just senior year in general. Please help me, SOS!

Junior-in-Jeopardy

Dear Junior-in-Jeopardy,

Let me preface this by saying that I was in the exact position you are in right now last year at this time, and I’ve survived it, so I know you will! Senior year is an absolute blast, and you’re going to love it, but it also holds a lot of uncertainty, which can be kind of scary. There’s college applications, scholarship applications, and harder classes, but there’s also a lot of fun things too like long lunch three times a week, the senior room, and being able to park closer to the school! It’s a great balance of work and fun that will let you end your high school experience with a bang.

As far as college applications go, I would suggest talking to Ms. Andracchio, Mr. Tucker, and your parents about recommendations for where you should apply. It is in my experience that if there’s somewhere you’re even just considering going to, you should apply there. I ended up applying to six very different colleges, and it really gave me a peace of mind to know that I had a variety of colleges to choose from. While I don’t at all doubt your abilities, it is always a good idea to apply to a “safe school” or one that you feel confident that you can get into if your top choice for a school doesn’t work out. Plus, even if you don’t get into where you really, really want to go, you can always go to your “safe school” for a year and then possibly transfer to the school of your choice.

The most important thing about applications, college, and scholarships is to not let deadlines sneak up on you. I’d suggest taking 15-20 minutes every week day to work on applications. This has really helped me, and the truth is that if you work on these applications or too long/too much, then you can get burned out and miss important things. It’s vital that you pace yourself. As far as picking classes to take last year, my biggest piece of advice is to challenge yourself, but not make yourself miserable. I’m not saying to take all “easy classes,” but I do suggest making sure you take classes you’re going to enjoy. Senior year is hard work, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any fun with it.

So, in conclusion, just relax. Senior year is a blast, so cherish it while it’s happening. I promise, it’ll all work out just like it’s supposed to.

Sincerely,

Holly Brantley