Inti Navia 
Senior year of high school has already arrived for many Chicago teens, for some of you it’s just around the corner. Feeling anxious about it? Nervous? Here are some tips to reduce those feelings and make this your best swan-song, awesome, kick-ass year yet.
I had my fair share of drama happen to me in my last year of high school. Friends started hating each other, couples broke up, and not to mention that looming threat of applying to college. Ugh. I don’t think anyone looks forward to that, and especially not all those things combined.
An ex-classmate of mine and friend to this day, Cynthia Hedemark, an incoming freshman to New York University, graciously agreed to talk about her experiences with these kinds of awkward, sometimes hurtful social situations.
When asked how she dealt with the social drama, Hedemark said in some ways she didn’t. “I think that back then I had a really difficult time grasping the situation and would avoid the issue entirely,” she explained. “But then it kinda backfired into a whole explosion later on…”
With that, here’s the first piece of advice on how to deal with school stressors, from Hedemark herself:
One: “Confront your issues. Any insecurities you might have with the people you love, however challenging it might be, is best handled head-on. You have to be truthful with the people you have issues with, otherwise they’ll never know how to begin to mend that wound.”
Two: “Work together. It’s one thing to acknowledge that you have issues with each other, it’s another to work together to fix them. Don’t think of it as one side versus the other. Think of it as team work. I had a really insightful conversation with two people I used to be close with and eventually broke apart. We had a long, emotionally-draining discussion, but in the end it was worth it. We understood each other.”
Three: “Take a step back. Maybe your other two friends are fighting and you want to help them resolve it so things can go back to normal. I’ve been down that road, and it leads nowhere good. It might be painful, but try and not get involved in the conflict. Trust that they can work things out themselves. If they follow the previous steps, they will.”
Communication is key to a perfect school year. This is your last year of high school! You have enough things to worry about, so try and avoid these social stress factors. Enjoy your time with your friends, and end on a high note. Just remember, whatever drama you’re facing, you’re not alone.
By Inti Navia, Freshman, Columbia College Chicago
All Platforms: @intinavia
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