Welcome to our new advice column! Every week, our advice columnist will answer anonymous questions from the McAuliffe community. If you would like to get our columnist’s advice on something happening in YOUR life, please fill out this form!
Dear Swerve Staff,
I’m new to McAuliffe. I want to make friends, however I feel I can’t do that because of remote learning. Can you give me some tips on how I can still make friends even with this pandemic going on?
Thanks, Concerned 6th Grader
Dear Concerned 6th Grader,
Sometimes good friends are hard to find. It may take a very long time, but if you wait a bit you may find your best friend! I know going into a new school is hard, especially during these times. If I can suggest one thing, maybe you and your class can do a zoom after school! That is what I did and I made many new friends! It may seem awkward, but if you start talking, others will too! I hope this helped and that you will make many friends in the near future
Sincerely,
Swerve Advice
Dear Swerve Staff,
Lately, I’ve been overwhelmed with all the work I’ve been given. I want to have some free time to do things I enjoy, but I don’t want to stop studying and doing school assignments. Can you please help me?
Thanks, Stressed Out 7th Grader
Dear Stressed Out 7th grader,
I understand that school makes you feel stressed out. School is overwhelming sometimes. We want to take a break from doing assignments, but we want to make sure we can turn in all of our assignments in a timely manner at the same time. So, I recommend organizing your daily schedule. You can use apps like “Calendar” to organize the times you study, do homework, or other school related things. You can organize the times you take breaks too. Organizing your daily schedule makes you feel not as stressed out because you have a set time to do work. You don’t feel like you have to study and do assignments for multiple hours without a break. Reduce your school stress by focusing on organizing your daily schedule because everyone needs breaks! I hope school can start getting less stressful for you soon.
Sincerely,
Swerve Advice
Dear Swerve Staff,
Lately, I’ve been procrastinating a lot. I want to be able to get rid of those distractions, but I can’t find out how to do so. Can you please help me?
Thanks,
Cherry Li
Dear Cherry Li,
If you feel like you just can’t focus and get easily distracted, get rid of those distractions! Go somewhere that you can actually focus on your schoolwork. Get rid of any tabs on your device that aren’t related to school, and stay organized, so that you don’t get distracted looking for your books. Try to keep your mind focused on your work, and remember that work always comes before anything else. Also, make sure you keep your siblings away as well because they can be a huge distraction. Keep a checklist of work for the day near you, so that you remember to do your work. I hope that you will be able to be more focused on doing assignments with the advice I’ve given you.
Sincerely,
Swerve Advice
The Swerve 