I know that high school can be stressful in many way’s: Friendship’s, navigating a new school, bigger workload & bigger projects, and of course the stress of trying to figure out what you want to do before you set off into the “real adult world”. This letter is here to help you navigate your high school career and help deal with all the mental challenges that come with it.

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Social Life: Navigating friendships in high school can be both exciting and challenging!

1. The first thing I can say (Even though I know it sounds cheesy) but be yourself and try to find friends who appreciate you for who you are. This is really important because when you find people who like you for who you are you then have room to grow and change as a person knowing that you still have that safety-net of good friendships. Its also refreshing to be able to be yourself and not have to act like a shell certain way around people which can be a very tiring at the end of the day.

2. Communication is key. Having an open and honest conversations can really help resolve conflicts and will maintain healthy relationships in the long run. Being a good listener Is also as important as talking about your issues. Its good to offer support when needed. High school’s a time of personal growth, so it’s okay for friendships to evolve or change, don’t be afraid of that.

1. Put yourself out there! Try to meet new people and explore different social circles, but remember to prioritize quality over quantity. Sometimes a small group of true friends is better than a big group of fake ones.

1. Remember in the end to always be respectful and considerate of others’ feelings, as kindness and empathy go a long way in forging lasting friendships during these upcoming years. This goes for your peers and teachers too!

Navigating Seycove: Seycove is a small school but it can still be hard to find your way around (I still have some trouble with it sometime)

1. Trust me I know getting through the hallways can be a stressful ordeal, and its especially hard when your trying to navigate it with friends – for that I recommend the classic backpack strap hold, it works like a dream. Its also sometimes good to try and get to the side of the hall and wait for the rush to end!

1. Getting to know your classes and where they are is also extremely helpful – I would also suggest trying to memorize where your classes are before the next semester starts so your not lost!

Project Stress & Studying: Stress is a challenging thing to manage especially in high school and even more when its your first year and the project load can be a bit difficult!

1. One of the most important things to help manage project stress is effective time management (which I am still working on). Some tips I would give is to try and break down your project into smaller, more manageable tasks, and create a realistic schedule to complete them over time, rather than waiting until the last minute or trying to take all the workload at once! I would also suggest doing your work in a place that you can really get in the zone for work. Sometimes its not the same place every time, sometimes its not even the space given for work (I can confidently say I cant work well in the classroom and work much better in the library). Make sure you have everything you need to get started and get into the flow!

• P.S: Sometimes working/studying with people can be effective and sometimes it cant – it all depends on what works best for you!

1. Breaks!!! I can not stress enough that breaks are such a key component in getting work done. Trust me when I say that starting at the work your wasting away over wont help at all in the long run – its good to take breaks (I.e: Getting a drink or food, stretching, talking to people).

1. Don’t hesitate to seek guidance from your teachers or peers!!! If you’re unsure about any aspect of the project ask your teacher or a classmate. Collaboration and brainstorming with your classmates (who are working on the same thing) can not only reduce stress and worry about the project but also lead to creative solutions. It’s also a good idea to swap work and give and receive critique from your peers! It’s extremely valuable and really helps you boost your work to the next level and can give you a great sense of pride in your work (which you should have!!)l. You don’t need to use all of the critique you receive but its still good to see, its also good to go to multiple people for critique, not just the same person!

• P.S: This is great opportunity to make friends and connections with the people in your class!

1. Another key note would be to remember to maintain a healthy work-life balance!! One way would be to make designated time to study so that you still have time and availability to have a social life – Having a social life is still important and can help with your mental health in the long run!. Staying active and getting enough sleep are also key things while in school and will ultimately effect your work and life for better or worse depending on what you do!

1. Last but not least, don’t be too hard on yourself; Perfection is not always reachable, nor does it need to be. Learning from mistakes is a such a valuable part of not only high school & post secondary academics but also the real world. I find its also really important to try and take pride in your work even if its not your favourite project and piece of work it still good to at-least find one good thing you think you did well in it!

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With the right approach and support, you can do all these things but its okay if doesn’t happen the first time around – just keep trying!! And soon you’ll successfully be able to  manage project stress, friendships, and the place you’ll be for the next couple years! These skills will develop and unfold into skills that will 100% serve you well in the future!