Dear Mike and Abby,

Because of doing all of 10th grade online I don’t feel prepared enough to become an 11th grader next year. Supposedly 11th grade is the hardest year in high school and since teachers this year have gone easier on the work they’ve assigned I don’t think that I’m going to be ready for the full 11th grade experience when we go back to school. What should I do to become more prepared for next year?

Sincerely,
Overwhelmed

Dear Overwhelmed,
To become more prepared for 11th grade you should work on having a good mindset going towards you next year of school. Having a positive mindset will get you far and make the work seem easier and eventually it will become less tedious. The hard work that you will do to get to your goals will be worth it and it’s important to keep that goal in mind to motivate you. It would also be good to pick up a hobby or an outlet such as sports or meditation to have for when you are stressed.

Dear Mike and Abby,

Being in a quarantine has allowed me to think a lot about the things currently happening in my life. Last year I got a girlfriend and she’s great and I really only have happy memories with her but even though it’s going well I don’t feel like being in a relationship anymore. It’s true what people say sometimes “High school relationships don’t last” and I don’t see a future with her so why should I keep dating in high school? And how can I tell her that this is how I feel?

Sincerely, A

Dear A,
Relationships in high school can be difficult but now you are dealing with the extra distance because of the stay at home order. I feel like the best thing to do is tell her how you are feeling, in this case tell her that you don’t see a future with her but be sincere and let her deal with it however she does. It will definitely not be easy but make sure you two aren’t distracted when talking about this and make sure you two are communicating thoroughly so that there aren’t any misunderstandings or miscommunication.

Dear Mike and Abby,

The school year is ending and I am still failing a lot of my classes. I’m just so stressed and I heavily regret procrastinating for most of the year. How can I do all of my missing work and not fail this year?

Sincerely, Procrastinator

Dear Procrastinator,
The amount of missing assignments that you complete will be up to only you. If you have a lot of missing assignments you should try to do the most important ones first, such as notebooks, quizzes, or projects. It would also help to go to any after school tutoring sessions that are still happening so that you can focus and gain help. It might seem like it’s too late and time in passing by quicker but a lot could still be done and you could still be a passing student.