A month or so ago, a twelve-year-old, American-Venezuelan girl named Alaysia Monroy reached out to me. She told me that after a traumatic event left her fearful and anxious, she dreams of starting a blog of her own that would reach out to other teen girls who’re dealing with similar stress, anxieties, and low self-esteem. She’d like to help them find inner confidence and strength in friendship. I fell in love with the idea and asked if she’d contribute a back-to-school post for Model Behaviors.
Read on for some very useful advice, whether you’re heading back to school or not!
Hard to believe it’s already back-to-school time again. I know this can seem like a never-ending loop of dreadfully long learning processes. School—it’s like you step through a portal that takes you to a world of hate and discouragement. As school inches closer and closer, naturally so does my anxiety level.
People are frantically running around trying to buy school items and get their wardrobe together. I’m sure some have already decided what they’re going to wear on the first day. If you are anything like me, everything will be nice and neatly picked out the night before the first day of school, which in all honesty, I completely dread.
I can spend hours upon hours just looking for the right outfit, and normally after a long while trying, I give up and just close my eyes and pick something random. Now I know I’m making school seem like a bad thing, but really it’s not. I’m excited to see my friends again and connect with them after the long summer vacation. I’m also excited for the new experiences I’ll encounter. I’ll make new friends and experience new moments to happily dream about or proudly show off and talk about.
For some of you, I do have a little advice when it comes to the worries of what might happen.
Making New Friends
This tends to be hard, depending on if you are shy or not, but honestly if you’re switching from an elementary school to middle school, you’ll move to a school with most of the same friends, but if you’re completely moving, I know you’ll find someone with the same interests as you. It might not happen right away, but when it does, you guys are sure to click!
Liking Your Teachers
This may sound strange, but so far I’ve had a wide range of teachers, and most seem to be really enjoyable. I can’t wait to meet my new ones this year!
But maybe you’re worried your teachers will be mean. If you’re nice to your teachers and do everything they say, you should be good to go. Maybe you have a problem with listening, or it’s hard for you to properly do one of the tasks. Just kindly ask for help. That can be hard for a lot of people, but just take a breather and then ask.
Getting to Class on Time
Thankfully, there’s a really simple way to fix this. Learn to manage your time. Once you master this skill, you won’t be late.
Worrying about the Food
If you don’t want or like the food, pack your own. I pack my own and prefer it that way.
Being Happy with You
Sadly, back to school means your feelings on your body image and self-esteem may decline at points. You may enter a world of hate, a war you constantly try to escape. You may feel lost and confused, and randomly your world may seem like it begins to fall and crumble on top of you like a sinkhole finally collapsing in. Remember, every end is a new beginning. Look at each day as another chance to change the world with your smile. Remember to shine. Remember anything is possible if you believe it is. Don’t let anyone change you. Take a chance and push forward.
Good luck this school year!
A
