02.18.09
Nervous About High School (Emily in Davenport, IA)
dear Jaqi,
i am in eighth grade and am about to start high school. i am super nervous going to high school and afraid that i won’t fit in and get good grades. it is all i think about now a days and it is ruining my life. what do i do?
Dear Emily,
It’s true that your freshman year is important. It’s a fresh start with your grades and it affects the rest of your high school years, BUT if you just stay clam, optimistic, and focused you’ll do fine. It’s not suddenly gonna be SOO difficult that you can’t keep up, don’t worry about that, but teachers definetly will treat you differently than you’re used to. They will treat you more like an adult (not like them, just more like them than before). There’s really not much to worry about grade-wise as long as you keep those grades up.
Now, about the whole fitting in thing. All the freshman are worried about the exact same thing. They’re all gonna be worried that they won’t find good friends or that they won’t fit in. Just be approachable and (same as the grades) optimistic. Try to stay happy and confident. (I think a good way to get the extra confidence boost is to wear your favorite outfit.)
If you sit next to someone who seems nice in class then try to have a small conversation. For example, “Hey, I’m Emily, I’m from ___ Junior High. How about you?” or you could just comment on the class you happen to be in.
Good luck with High School. 
Hs&Ks,
Jaqi
