Welcome to the first column of the 2017-18 year! If your question wasn’t answered in this column, we’ll try and get to it in the next one. Looking to start ramping up the pace at which we release these this year, so keep the questions coming!
How do I become good friends with my best friend’s crush?
You shouldn’t overthink this. Your best friend having a crush on this person shouldn’t change the way you act around them. If you just want to be friends with them, treat them like you would any other person at CPS. You might talk to your friend about whether it’s okay with them, and you should be good to go.
Are you passing the advice column torch down next year?
We are! We technically don’t get to choose who it’ll be (because we’re not in charge of Radar), but 20 bucks goes a long way.
What do you do if you screw up your tests?
Luckily, you have lots of time left in the semester. Don’t let a couple of bad tests get you down – if you lose confidence in your ability to perform, it’ll start a downward trend.
How do I deal with having to be around an ex who I’m currently not on speaking terms with, but who hangs out with my group of friends? I’m trying to just have fun with my friends, but it’s very uncomfortable, and I can’t help but feel angry at my ex, and those feelings come up often because I have to see them every day. They don’t want to talk to me either, so attempts to make this situation better have not worked.
I know this is really difficult, but you have to be completely honest with them and tell them you need to talk about what’s going on. Hiding your frustration will just make you more agitated. There’s not really a way to resolve this without some level of confrontation/conversation.
Can you teach me how to play Hearthstone while I’m supposed to be in class?
If you’re letting class get in the way of your Hearthstone career then you’re obviously doing it wrong.
How do I socialize without killing my grades?
Though it seems obvious, the key is balance. Create small breaks in between studying to text a friend for a couple minutes. Study with a classmate during your free period, or study alone and then hang out with friends after school. You can use short times like after assembly or between classes to have conversations and be social. Just know how much work you have to get done and find a good medium.
Should I take a break (or gap) year and why? What are the pros and cons?
A gap year is a great opportunity to try something new and grow as a person. That said, it’s not for everyone. We suggest talking to either Martin or Kate in the College Counseling office if you’re really interested in taking a gap year. They’ll be able to walk you through all the pros and cons.
How do you choose which questions to answer?
We cull through the insults and mockery to find the few diamonds in the rough.
How often do freshmen teachers give extension requests?
It really depends on your reason. All CPS teachers are nice people, but if you need an extension because of procrastination, it probably won’t work. At the same time, teachers understand that our lives get complicated, and if something serious comes up, any teacher will give you extra time. Things will sort themselves out as long as you tell them early enough.
When they say dog’s food is new and improved with a better taste, how do they know? Are people hired to taste dog food?
Arnav: I would assume they test the dog’s reaction to the food? That seems to make the most sense.
Okay so here’s the thing: I used to play sports, but I didn’t want to play at CPS because everyone is so competitive. So I am in RHF, and I really don’t want to be in RHF for the next three years. I have read on the website that there is some way that we can exercise outside of school (runs, hikes, biking etc.) and get sports credit but not go to RHF. How does this work?
We asked Tran for the answer: “The only way to earn RHF credit with an outside activity is apply for the Outside Activity/Recreation Program. If a student has a coach or an instructor for the activity, they can earn partial to full RHF credit depending on the number of hours per week. Hope this answer helps.”
Robotics is not in debt. Why do you profess false truths?
We’re sincerely sorry that we were spreading false information about a very respectable club on campus. To any of those whose impressions of Robotics Club have been shaped by our column, we apologize. To the freshmen who have yet to understand the full depth of this joke, we hope you don’t follow in our footsteps and instead understand that Robotics Club has risen from its debt despite our constant ridicule.
How in debt is the robotics team?
Oh my god soooooo in debt lol.
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Enjoyed reading this one? Go check out our last advice column! Click on our author names below to find Columns #1, #2, Finals Advice, and #3!
Craving some sarcasm and self-deprecating humor in your life? Talk to us in person! We love meeting new people…and we’re a little bit desperate at this point.