Balancing life and preserving friendships are the concerns Senior Sally addresses today with her four years of high school-life experience. If you have a question you’d like her to consider, let us know.
Q: How can you balance school, work, and sports?
A: Figure out what kind of schedule works for you.
As a freshman it can be a nightmare just trying to figure out how to manage your time. Trust me, every upperclassmen has been there and done that (some of us are still trying to figure it out). The one thing I can tell you is that there is no one schedule that balanc
es work, sports and school that will fit everyone. Each person is different; some people love busy schedules and long days. Some people need lots of sleep and down time to do their homework. It is all up to you and what you prefer. The best thing for you to do is slowly add things to your schedule and allow ample time to adjust. If just your schoolwork alone is stressing you out and you’re struggling to keep your grades up, then I would not advise doing a sport. If you are just skimming by with grades that qualify you to play a sport and morning practices are the death of you, I would also not advise getting a job, but you can always get one in your off season (if you have one). Don’t feel pressured in any way to fill up your schedule if you think you cannot handle it, and don’t be afraid to say no to something you won’t have the time to do. Having a busy schedule is hard work, but if you’re driven enough and can find your happy medium, great things will be rewarded to you.
Q: Looking back on freshman year, how did you get over losing friends?
A: You have to learn to forgive and forget when it comes to losing friendships.
Middle school was one of the most cliquey times of our lives. Now you’re in a high school filled with 2,000 students and you’re expected to keep all your friends from middle school. Many friends drift apart unintentionally because of how busy they can be with sports, clubs, work, and school. No promise saying “We will be friends forever” will actually keep your friendship together. If you genuinely want the friendship to last, there will need to be lots of effort from both parties. Friendship is a two way street.
People change and you have to respect that.
If a friendship does eventually come to end, you can’t blame yourself and you can’t necessarily blame the other person either. People change and you have to respect that. Don’t be bitter about it and hold some monster-sized grudge; it was no one’s fault. Whenever you see them in the hallways, smile. Say hello. Ask how they’re doing. It’s the kindest thing to do considering that at one point you were so close to these people you swore you were conjoined at the hip.
For those of you who have managed to keep your friendships from middle school or even elementary school, congrats. I guarantee high school has changed your friendship in one way or another and you got through it together. There are many ups and downs in a healthy relationship with someone, but the important part is knowing that the good times outweigh the bad and you would rather experience the amputation of one of your limbs than live without that best friend by your side.
The Pine Needle 