A

B

A wise man once said, “It’s better to do a few things well than a lot of things poorly．” As you make the transition to a tougher workload, focus on maintaining a balance of schoolwork, scouting, other activities, friends, family and just the games you are enjoying playing．You may always think of this: we can learn things not only in classes, but outside of classes．You’ll be happier, not to mention more successful at the things you like．

If you’re having trouble keeping up, ask your teachers if they can recommend someone to tutor you for an hour after school．I know it sounds like torture, but trust me．I was struggling through math and eventually my mum made me get a tutor．I was very angry．But it turned out that with the tutor’s help, I could get through my work in an hour instead of three hours at home．So after a few weeks, I caught up with the rest of the class．

C

D

You should be flattered—he looks up to you．But I understand; it’s completely up-setting．My little sister went through a stage in which she constantly bought the same exact clothes as me．But after a few months she turned to someone else．Wait it out for a while, and your friend will probably discover his own sense of style．Then let him know you think he’s cool, especially he does his own thing．Your comment will spare him embarrassment, boost his self-esteem and, ultimately, get him to stop cloning around．

You’re right．Intelligence is a quality that everyone wants, and as you get older it’s going to be what people love and respect about you．And yet, just as hyper-social people need to make time for schoolwork, you might benefit from a little balance as well．In addition to exercising your brain with classes and books, exercise your spirit with music, sports, Scouts or other activities．Bonus: Some of those kids who laughed at you might someday realize how cool you actually are and shut up．

E

F

The fact that you recognize what the problem is and want to fix it is fantastic．Avoid becoming a regular in the schoolmaster’s office, and make a good first impression in the new place．This doesn’t mean you have to be a top student．Jus do your work, speak up in class when the teacher asks a question and seek extra help if your grades start to slip．And stay involved in after-class activities so that you can keep yourself too busy to get into trouble and help you burn off some of the energy that tends to land you in hot water．

A teacher once gave me this great advice: Prepare a conversation in your head before going into an uncomfortable social situation．It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s easy – and it works! For example, if you know you’re hiking a certain mountain with Scouts this weekend, go online and Google the area you’re hiking．Find an interesting or funny fact or two and talk about them when your troop is climbing up the mountain．As for the “cool” kids, forget them．Coolness runs out after high school．