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Question:  Do you have advice on balancing sports and school? When I get home from my sport, I get really tired and don’t have any motivation to do my homework, but I also won’t have enough time to do it all if I take a break.

Answer:  It’s hard to balance sports and school. If you always wait until you have the motivation to do your homework, you won’t get much done. Instead, try to focus on ways to create motivation. When I need to be productive, I light a candle and put on chill music to create a nice studying environment. Then I take it one step at a time and try to get the most important assignments out of the way first. You can experiment with strategies like these and figure out what works for you. 

Q:  Are other people actually using the 650-word limit for their personal statement?

A:  Yes, you cannot go over 650 words. Ideally, though, you use more than 550 words. We recommend talking to your college counselor for further college advice.

Q:  there is a possible relationship between a freshman and a sophomore but they are both denying it. should they go for it?

A:  Relationships should be handled delicately. Before jumping into this relationship, both parties should consider why they are denying it. Is the only issue dating someone in a different grade, or is there another reason? The age gap between sophomores and freshmen is usually small enough that if both parties are interested, they should go for it. Of course, relationships are very complicated and there are many things that outside parties (like us) may not understand. If you are an outside party giving input, we’d recommend staying out of others’ relationships for both your and their sakes. 

Q:  How do I balance all my classes, extracurriculars, and a bad work ethic, while still getting some time to rest at night to do it all over again.

A:  It’s hard to juggle academics and extracurriculars with a bad work ethic. While you can’t control the workload you get from classes and clubs, you can control how you work. What can help is to figure out what your ‘why.’ Maybe a good work ethic gives you more time to spend with friends, pushes you towards achieving a career goal, or tells your family you appreciate the opportunities they’ve given you by sending you to Friends? A good ‘why’ can help you find the big-picture motivation to complete daily tasks.

Q:  How do I not freak out about all these stressful colleges apps?

A:  Remember that at the end of all this, you will get into college! You have the wonderful opportunity and resources to access a college education. Even if you don’t land at your ‘dream school,’ there are so many amazing colleges, and your experience will be what you make of it. Still, applications are very stressful at the moment and it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. Reach out to the people who can support you best, whether that’s your friends, family, or college counselor.

Q:  how to tell if it’s joke flirting or serious from lesbian friends?

A:  Flirting is really subjective. A lot of times what seems like flirting to you might just be friendly banter to someone else, and vice versa. If the flirting crosses your boundaries – or if you are interested in her – you might want to approach her about it directly, and clearly ask if she is flirting.

Q:  How do you hide your attraction to someone?

A:  We show our attraction through physical and subtle clues, like eye contact or body language. If you tell yourself not to look at someone a lot, you’re likely to overthink it. Generally, you don’t need to try to hide your attraction to someone, because most people won’t think you’re attracted to them unless you explicitly say so.

Q:  How should I friendzone myself?

A:  Make sure that you accept that there is no romantic future for the two of you. This can take time, and that’s ok. Treating the other person like you would any other friend can help. 

Q:  Recently I’ve been really wanting to go to music school for guitar and music production because I love music so much and I don’t know what else I’d do with my life. But the past few days, I’ve been thinking about how if I need to get better and practice way more, that may make me lose interest in it all and start hating it. I doubt my skills are good enough where I am right now to get accepted, so I need to practice a lot to get to the level I need to be at. But I’m too worried I’m gonna get burnt out and end up giving up. I still have a over a year until I need to start applying, so I have plenty of time, but it’s been something on my mind that’s really been stressing me.

A:  If you know that you want to commit to this and practice a lot more, then you have time to improve and become more competitive for those schools. But if you find in this process that you are getting burnt out, then maybe that itself is telling you something. If you end up not going to college for music specifically, it can still be a huge part of your life. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Q:  I like hoco but I also hate it / Is hoco worth it?

A:  Your opinion is perfectly valid. Being around that many people can be stressful, but you might still want to be a part of it. I recommend going with friends if you are hesitant, but no one will judge you if you don’t go.