We are delighted to start one of our two new advice columns today. This one is designed for middle schoolers and is written by a girl, ‘Cammy’, who is middle school age, but opting to remain anonymous. She welcomes questions and concerns from all ages. You can reach Cammy at [email protected] and she is really looking forward to hearing from you.
Our second columnist, Jen Mann — who is also our wonderful book reviewer — is currently working on her first column, which is designed primarily for adults. Send your questions to her at [email protected]
Cammy’s first two columns are below:
Dear Cammy,
I feel as though I don’t fit in. My friends do one sport but I do a different one. Our schedules don’t overlap, so I don’t get together with them as often as I used to. I never get any of their inside jokes and feel left out. What should I do?
Lonely in Sports
Dear Lonely in Sports,
It’s important to maintain friendships throughout middle school and it’s great that you want to be included. One thing that you could do is look over your schedule and plan times that you are available, then ask your friends when they are available. You figure out dates and times that you all can get together. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to work out, even though these are your friends. Peoples interests change and people draw apart. Find a group of people that have the same interests as you.
Cammy
Dear Cammy,
This year I have started getting a ton of homework, and my sport and activity schedule is getting in the way. I am missing a couple homework assignments and I’m afraid as the year goes on, I’m going to miss even more and my grades will be affected. I’m usually a really good student, I just don’t know what to do.
MIA Homework
Dear MIA Homework,
Good for you for recognizing that you need help. Recognizing there is a problem is the first step to fixing it. It’s great that you are reaching out for help. An important skill that you learn throughout middle school is time management and organization. The first thing that you should do is talk to your parent, your teacher, or a person that can help you with your problem. You need to prioritize and if skipping a practice is necessary then go ahead. Another thing that you could do is, if you feel you have one sport/activity that you don’t enjoy you can always either postpone or drop till you learn to manage you time. In the beginning of the week you should plan out your activity schedule and decide where your homework and study time will go. You just need to remember that school ALWAYS comes first.
Cammy