Then…

Q: What is the best way to make good, trustworthy, honest friends?

A: We all have acquaintances—people we exchange small talk with in the hallways but don’t really go out of the way to associate ourselves with. These relationships can be developed into deeper, meaningful friendships. Now, you can’t force a seed to grow, however, you can provide the essentials needed for it to have the best opportunities to become a sturdy plant. The essentials of a good friendship include both parties being genuine, paying attention, and proving trust. If you put effort into providing these key assets for the other person and they do the same, over time your relationship will only grow more emotionally involved. If they don’t, well, time to plant the next seed.

Q: Socks with sandals?

A: Vegan tacos? See, some things are just immoral. Don’t do it.

Q: How to score well on the ACT?

A: Scoring with high proficiency on the ACT is determined by the amount of effort put into preparation. Compare studying for the ACT to training to run a marathon. Anyone attempting running long distance for their first time may not get as far as anticipated. However, someone who trained their body to sustain long distance running over the course of months would be physically and emotionally able to run longer. As a student, every school day is training your mind as you learn new content, but there are things you can do to prepare yourself outside of class. The official ACT website offers a variety of different study tools from advice on being prepared to sample questions for your advantage. Another way to study is simply asking your teachers to tutor you in areas where you may lack understanding. My biggest recommendation is taking the ACT multiple times throughout your High School career. From little sleep to being hungry, there are a lot of different scenarios that may cause you to score poorly your first time. However, if you take the test more then once the highest score is what initially matters and you get many chances to prove what you know.   

Q: Coming out as transgender?

A: Making the decision to come out as transgender to family and friends is an important first step towards being who you are and living the life you deserve. My recommendation is to write a letter. The letter method has many advantages including allowing you to say what you need to say without interruption, as well as allowing you to sleep on and revise your own words until you feel comfortable with what you’ve written. Initial reactions to big news can come from a place of surprise and often, a natural resistance to change. Writing a letter gives the reader opportunity to react in private before responding. This allows the reader to come from a place of love and respect, which overall long term benefits your relationship.

Q: I’m having issues fitting in, can you help?

A: Fitting in means assessing situations and groups of people, then twisting your personality and style in order to impress them. My advice is to stop trying to fit in, aim to belong instead. They may sound similar but belonging is something else entirely. Belonging is allowing yourself to be seen and known as you really are, then finding the people who accept you for that person. So many suffer from this split between who they are and who they present to the world in order to be accepted. As cliche as it may seem, simply be yourself.

Q: How do I learn to lay off the Skittles? I’ve had six of the big bags in the past week and a half, and I can’t stop no matter what I do. I even bought a bag this morning for a driving snack. The one I bought yesterday (which was supposed to last a week) didn’t last the full day. It’s clearly an addiction, and I need some help. I love skittles, man.

A: When tasting the rainbow meets low self-control, skittles can be hazardous to your health. You could develop diseases such as type two diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as an increased risk of a stroke. I would suggest seeing a medical professional, therapist, and attending SA (Skittles Anonymous) meetings weekly. Addiction to skittles is no laughing matter, man.