Dear

It’s been some time since I’ve been in school but I do know you’re not alone in what you are feeling. So, who better to answer your question and share some of their thoughts but some of our Jr. Divas who are also getting ready to go back to school?

– Diva

Dear Stressin’,

As a teen of today, I know exactly what things most teenagers stress about going back to school. With negative influences like peer pressure, bullying, drugs and alcohol, dating, the pressure to excel at school and being expected to look supermodel beautiful, which is unrealistic, you really have to put yourself in our shoes to know what it feels like.

We go back to school after two months of summer vacation with our minds completely brainwashed by North American culture. We are uselessly stressed about if we have the “hottest” clothes and if we fit in. It becomes a popularity contest of who has the most brand name clothes and Facebook friends.

It is a sad fact that more than 86 percent of teens have admitted to being bullied and the numbers are only growing, and school is obviously one of the places you are most likely to get bullied. Today, not just the schoolyard bully is a threat, but cyberbullying is also an issue. Schools need to have more resources for students being bullied, whether it is support groups or programs educating students about the effects and consequences.

“be true to yourself, express who you are”

Another thing is, over the summer, some of us lose connections with our friends —sometimes we are put in classes knowing no one at all. When you’re around people who have been friends their whole lives, you do feel left out. There should be more after-school activities that have transportation for teens with parents that work or cannot drive their teens to school in the afternoon. It helps if you are organized and practice time management, that way you don’t add any more stress. I think the single most important thing is to be true to yourself, express who you are. Every single one of us is unique and each new school year is another chance to grow and learn.

– Lilly – Jr. Dear Diva

~ Diva