Now…

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

A: Most of the advice I gave in this particular response stays true to my beliefs, however, the ending sentence seems to contradict what the entire paragraph claims. Once a friendship begins to falter, don’t simply discard the relationship and force yourself to connect to new people. That lack of commitment won’t allow relationships to form sturdy roots. Working on mending conflicts and disagreements allows two beings to form an elevated sense of love and respect for one another, and ultimately allows a more deep-rooted relationship to grow. The best way to make good, trustworthy friends is by simply allowing preexisting and new found friendships to mature through time.

Q: Socks with sandals?

A: Despite my poor attempt at adding humor to the column, the vegan joke proves ironic considering that I’ve followed the dietary practice for over a year now. Though it was simply a joke, there seems to be an important lesson to be learned. I would like to draw attention to this example of prepositional judgment. Viewpoints that form from the lack of knowledge or the inherited dispositions of a particular subject can blind someone from discovering and growing through their own mind. In other words, discover and understand anything before you judge it. As for the fashion advice, why not wear socks and sandals? Do what allows your heart to be content.

Q: How to score well on the ACT?

A: One major distinction between when I first began writing Nick’s Notes and now is the experience I accumulated through multiple attempts at bettering my ACT score. Though my previous advice is fine, I want to extend one of the key concepts I attempted to convey. Developing a strong familiarization with the test proves to benefit one’s score immensely. Simply analyzing each section’s content through multiple tests allows you to gain a more clear insight into what information is most dire for you to know. The ACT is composed to challenge multiple mental skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving, and is truly easier once you’ve practiced the content vigorously. The ACT is not as difficult as it is made out to be, the only aspect that may be hindering your score can be informality, which can be altered through dedication and practice. Don’t stress, remember to breathe, and prepare and study until you are satisfied with one of your scores.

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. (Nothing has changed!)

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

A: Although I skimmed this concept in my previous response, I failed to convey the idea fully. Being yourself, while rewarding, is seemingly impossible without one other element added: Love. The act of loving oneself is difficult to comprehend considering our generation often deprecates the very idea; however, once an individual has developed the ability to truly love them self, they become content. Impressing others through a facade becomes unimaginable once you’ve accepted and loved the person you are. Others notice the comfort you’ve found within yourself and start appreciating the perfection that you’ve confidently presented before them. Belonging may seem essential for human satisfaction, and whether that is true or not proves debatable, but the worry of trying to belong simply vanishes through self love.

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: I would change nothing about how I responded to this question. Addiction to skittles is still no laughing matter, man.