Q&A

Mariluz asked: What are some ways that I can calm myself on the way to my first day as a freshman? Should I be worried about not making friends?

Well for any grade the first day of school is a mixture of feeling from nervousness to anxiousness to excitement. Ways to ensure that you are as calm as you can be ( within reasonable limits; I.e you WILL be nervous no matter what)is to have a stress free morning and night. The night before the first day of school be sure you get a good nights sleep some tips to make sure that you get a good nights rest and a good morning are:

• Don't eat anything an hour before bed
• have a cup of warm milk ( no chocolate, the sugar will keep you up)
• Pick out 2 outfits the night before so you aren't running around in the morning
• Wake up extra early so that you can have a slow paced morning
• be sure to rinse your face with a moisturizing element to help you look your best ( I recommend morning burst from clean & clear)
• Have your bag packed
• Leave your house with a lot of time ( if you rely on transportation)
• Have a good breakfast with protein and fruit
• Most importantly remind yourself that this is only another first day of school you aren't on your way to the Olympics but just to a new school building so it's important to keep your head!

As far as the friends situation goes I'm not goin to lie and say that you will have a friend as soon as you sit down in a class but it's important for you to make yourself approachable as in say hi to the person sitting next to you and make casual conversation this is always the start to new friendships and within a well you should your first friend or a Lear an acquaintance. So long answer short, I don't think you should worry about not having friends it will happen!!

Best of luck!

Oh and everyone be sure to keep me posted on how your first days went! I'll post them, send your stories to

Thethingstoask@gmail.com

MY TOP 10 DO's and DONT's

DO

1.  Make an effort to be friendly, it's important to become cohesive with the people whom will surround you for the entire year; doing otherwise may lead to a very drama filled and miserable year.
2. Become familiar with teachers expectations. 
3. Get the number of a fellow classmate and get the teacher's email and use it!
4. Create a professional Email account- preferably with Google- this allows you to use all of the cool features such as Google docs, which is more convenient than the "old school" Flash drive/ USB drive
5. Stay Organized! Find what works for you and keep at it!
6. Get involved in clubs/ sports/ community service
7. Explore options while in high school as for what you want to do when you "grow up"
8. Maintain your grades- even freshmen year counts!
9. Look at your school's/ State's graduation requirements and make sure you fit in your classes so you can graduate on time.
10. CREATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.

DON'T

1.  Fall into peer pressure- trust me there is a lot, you need to create a positive group of friends
2. Take freshmen year as a joke, yes it is the easiest but it is also a crucial time for you to establish what is going to help you throughout the next 4 years.
3. Be afraid to ask for help in any class
4. Do something that you would be embarrassed to tell your parents (or any trusted adult whom you have a good relationship with)
5. Depend on your teachers to hold your hand and let you know when you're failing, or missing assignments- that is on you.
6. Post your whole life on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram etc. What goes online stays there forever. 
7. Brag about what you have, it's a good way to make enemies fast!
8. Keep your enemies closer than your friends- it's a surefire way to cause pointless drama
9. Try to make a name for yourself as the bully/jock/etc. its a good way to have people not like you- including upperclassmen.
10. Lose a friend because of a relationship, you may think you're in love or that your significant other is your world, but you need to make time for friends and time to be alone, to much togetherness is the quickest way to being torn apart.

If anyone has other ideas, you know what to do! Drop a comment or email me!

More Q&A

This one from Rosa- Yahoo! Answers asks
1)what if you don't have an orientation and start the year knowing nothing about the location of the school

2) what are some sites available for sat and act studies?

3) what could you do at the beginning of the marking period to have a s?

Question number 1 is a very interesting question, honestly had never thought about it, glad she asked! This is a tough question to answer because everyone will handle it differently and there really isn't a way to get around the fact that you don't know much. Luckily the first day you will more than likely have a map of the school so that is going to have to be your bible, you get used to the school after a few days. Also, despite those whom do go to orientation, everyone will be a little lost because schedules change, classes change etc. If you get lost be sure to ask security or a teacher. As big as my school is (4000 plus students) I was fine without a map or directions after 4 days.

Question number 2 is easy to answer! There are several websites that help with both ACT and SAT prep, as long as you use these websites to your full benefit you should have a good idea on SAT/ACT type format.
SAT:  The College Board I suggest making a profile on this website ASAP, it will quickly become one of your best friends because not only does it offer a full SAT test (which will give you an idea of your official score), but it has all the resources you need for when you begin your college search.
Another website with practice SAT questions is Pro Profs
For the ACT The Official ACT Website  this is the only website I have personal experience with, if anyone has used another please share!

• Other than these a quick google search should turn up results; also a quick side note, if you have an Android or Apple mobile device (iPod, iPhone, iPad etc) you can download the collegeboard's official SAT Question of the Day app

Question 3 I am not sure what and S is (I assume its satisfactory??)but to earn good grades the biggest things are to be sure that you are organized and ask for help. I cannot stress how important these two tips are for academic and lifelong success are.

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