A/N: Some of the parts to the original letter have been cut out or edited as requested by Uwa12345 to maintain his/her privacy.

Uwa12345: Dear Sasha,
Uhmm, first of all thank you for this column. It really helped me with some of my doubts, but I really want to share this with somebody.

I have 1 best friend for 5 years, and it's enough for me, this September we'll go in High School (different ones).

Last year, when I was 8th (last) grade of Elementary school, my parents transferred me cause I was in bad class (with my so called 2 best friends, and 1 true b.f.f.) where students didn't really study and they wanted to I be in better atmosphere for learning and such.
But in new class, I couldn't find any friend, cause I was totally different: I listened k-pop, I was a troll, ironic, sarcastic, smart and I didn't care about showing my decolletage and putting hard make-up in school. I love myself cause I'm weird, and I didn't wanted to change because of anyone, so I didn't actually have a friend. Other classmates and I just chatted in school.

So through the year, only that one girl stayed my friend, others forgot me... like we were never best friends.

The problem is that my parents think that my best friend is not my best friend because we're a bit different. But I don't care about that, cause I accepted her as she is and she accepted me with my flaws.
 

But my parents insist that I'll find a true best friend in high school, who'll be as smart as I am, and etc.
Plus my brother also calls her retarded because she doesn't have all A's in school =.=
And that hurts me, and I know if she would hear it, it would be very hard from me to pick side between my bro' and her. :/
 

And I think I forgot to mention, the very big difference between her and me is also that I'm going to top 5 best high school is our country and so, so my parents think she'll be jealous or I'll be jealous of her cause she can have free time.
But I don't think so.

Also my other problem is about my high school, can you tell me how did you introduced yourself in high school to other people?
I'm very shy with strangers and particularly in school, which is totally opposite from me with my friends or in home.
And also, I'm afraid I'm not good enough in Maths for my high school, since it has very strong Maths and Science there.
I love Chemistry, and that will be easy for me, but Math - I have even sometimes problem with like totally BASIC things == I plan to exercise maths, but I have no will... it's summer and I have to be perfect in Math till 9th September, but how? I want to be with my best friend, and also chat on facebook with my internet best friends from neighbor lands (:
H3h3.

So that's it. ://
Hope you understand my English, it's not my native language and I'm sorry if you don't get my point... I really know to lose myself in my thoughts ^^: Thanks for reading and thank you for this column. I bet I'll write you a lot when school starts (:

Friend: Dear Uwa12345,

It’s hard having to choose between friends or family sometimes, given the situation, but in your case you won’t have to do either(:

Like I’ve said before in some of my previous letters; parents only do what they think is best for you, whether you may think it’s right or wrong. Your parents want to set a bright future for you and want you to have a life without any hardships (although we all know that’s practically impossible). Through their perspective, they think that because your friend seems so rebellious, disrespectful, and a bad influence; they believe it’s best that you cut off ties with her so you won’t end up like her. It’s true that friends can or will influence you in one way or another, but who says that they’ll always influence you in a bad way? In the end, it all depends how much the person lets the other one affect them.

True friends don’t get jealous over the other. Instead, they’ll be the first ones to congratulate you and help push you forward so you can go even farther in life. You and your friend seem to be two peas in a pod, so explain that to your parents. Right now, it seems like they’re only judging a book by its cover, something you should never do because hey, who knows what you’ll find inside ;) Through their point of view, they might see her as a troublesome teen who will only lead you down a life of mischief. Try and explain to them how you view her yourself. Tell them about all the great memories you’ve had together and how she was the friend that stuck with you till the end in 8^th grade. Maybe if you show them how much of an amazing person you view her to be, they might lighten up.

When your parents say that you’ll make even better friends in high school, I’ll be honest and say that may or may not be true. After all, who knows what the future holds for each and every one of us? If you don’t know your own future, how can you expect someone else to know it for you? It’s true that high school does hold many opportunities for some new and strong friendships. But in my opinion, each and every friendship is different. Even if you do find a friend as smart as you, like your parents hope for, she/he won’t be like your current best friend. You guys might not laugh at the same jokes or share the same interests, and you most certainly won’t share the exact same memories(:

As for your brother, explain to him that just because someone doesn’t have all A’s, it doesn’t make them retarded – not one bit. Ask if any one of his friends has gotten something other than all A’s. I guarantee there’s going to be at least one of his friends who hasn’t gotten all A’s. If they’re his friends, I don’t think he’ll want to call them retarded in a serious way like he does with your own best friend. If none of his friends are retarded for not getting all A’s, why should yours be any different? If all goes well, you won't have to side with anyone.

Going off to different high schools without your best friend can always be a challenge. You might worry that you guys won’t be as close anymore, or that the two of you will change, and so on. Sometimes friends drift apart and tears are shed. But instead of crying about the loss, why not cry tears of happiness from all the amazing memories? But I’ll tell you what – if it’s a friendship that was meant to be, then it’ll last. So don't worry(:

As for your question – it’s story time (LOL)! When I started high school, I’ll be honest and say that I think I got lucky. Many people were put into new classes filled with complete strangers. Others had upperclassmen in their classes and had no idea what to do.  I knew several people from my high school in serveral classes, some being from the same elementary or middle school and others being friend's of one of my other friends, before I enrolled and they really helped me out. They introduced me to new people, helped me find my way around the school, and even invited me to tag along with them. I'm truly grateful for each and every one of them.

The day before school started, I told myself that it’s a fresh new start. No labels from my middle school, no history - nothing. It’s like a clean new slate waiting to be written on. I became more outgoing and after a few days, I started introducing myself to other people on my own. The way I usually began talking was through the most random of ways. One person I’d simply offer them help in a geometry problem, others I’d throw them a compliment and they’d throw one back, and one time (pretty embarrassing, if I do say so myself) I offered a seat next to me to a guy, even though there were plenty more available (I’m pretty blind @_@ so I didn’t exactly notice the millions of empty seats behind me OTL). But hey, through all of that I’ve managed to not only make new friends, but make some pretty awesome memories in freshman year.

I wish I could give you a manual with detailed instructions on how to start talking to people and have a perfect start, but sadly I can’t. It’s not because I don’t want to, but rather it’ll be impossible to even have such a manual. Every person and every situation is different, so every time you introduce yourself to one person, chances are you aren’t going to introduce yourself the exact same way to another. Just be yourself and things should work out for the better.

One tip I definitely recommend is to not hold back. It’s high school Uwa12345! It’s the time of your life where you make lasting memories so when you look back on those years, you smile when you think about them. If you want to try out a sport, do it! It’ll look great on your college resume, it’s a great way to exercise, and you can meet some new people who share the same interest as you. If you want to start talking to someone in your class, go for it! Maybe you two might become some close friends later in life(: It’s hard to be the first one to initiate the conversation, but once you break the ice, things should go uphill from there. It’s only a two letter word but saying a simple “hi” could be the start of a great conversation.

Ah summer, the time of the year where we all just want to forget about school and hang out with our friends. It may be fun and games but once school is just around the corner, it’s time to dust off those textbooks and start refreshing your mind for the upcoming year. I know how hard it is to try and focus on your studies while it may seem like everyone is down at the pier or going off on vacation. But trust me, you’ll be so happy when classes begin and, unlike those people who gloated about their awesome summers and never once opened their books, you’ll be one of those people who know what the teacher is teaching and what the lessons are about.

Every spare moment you have, turn it into a little study session. If you’re just sitting on the couch and flipping through channels out of sheer boredom, instead go grab one of your math notebooks and look over your notes. Heck, go outside and enjoy the summer air as you try and remember all those equations. Being outside with the bright shining sun can really boost your mood and with the calm environment around you, you can peacefully study and remember the things you’re looking over.

If you want, you can even kill two birds with one stone. You want to hang out with your friends? You can do that and study at the same time. I’m sure you’re not the only friend who’s worried about the upcoming school year and the material you all need to memorize. So why not offer a little study session with some of your friends? That way, you all can study together and help one another. However, I only recommend this if you know you won’t get distracted by your friends. After all, the whole point of the study session was to make it more fun to study together and help one another, not toss your books in a corner of the room and forget about them.

Uwa12345, you shouldn’t doubt your own abilities. Even though math may not be your strongest subject, I’m sure that you’re a brilliant student. You got into one of the best 5 high schools through your intelligence. They accepted you because you fit their criteria. And if it’s one of the best 5 high schools in your area, then that’s saying a lot. This will be a great opportunity for you, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it. You may have been one of the top students in your middle school, but this exceptional high school can challenge you further and help you in the future. Who says that everyone attending the school will be a genius? You’re worrying that your mathematics might not be strong enough, but another kid might be worrying that their science isn’t good enough. Nobody’s perfect but that’s just how we are, we’re human. When school starts, if you’re having difficulty keeping up with the curriculum, go ahead and ask the teacher for help. It’s their job to educate their students. If you got yourself a strict teacher who doesn't bother with explaining the same material for those who are having trouble with it, then go ahead and ask one of your classmates to help you out. Not only will you better understand the lesson, you might make another friend as well. You got accepted for a reason, so don’t think you aren’t good enough(:

I wish you luck with your friend and your first day in high school(:

~(Chingu) 친구