Dear Ate Xy,

I am a first year high school student.  i think i have more than one problem and so I hope you can help me.

We had our orientations earlier this week. all the different teachers for the different subjects talked to our class. 

My first problem is that I am terribly afraid of our new PE teacher. She seems a bit strict. Which doesn’t help me since PE is not one of my best subjects. I am not the physical/sporty type of girl and I am scared that I might not be able to do the things we need to do for PE (like push-ups and such). I might end up embarrassing my self in the whole class.

Now, my second dilemma is that  ever since I was in first grade I was always the top of my class. My parents always expect me to excel. My whole family has always had high expectations for me. But now I’m not so sure if I can meet those expectations. Based on my first week, high school is a lot more different than elementary. More school work, more projects and more activities. I’m not sure I could do it all.

Oh, and can you please  give me some tips on how to draw. I’m not really good at drawing and most of our activities involve drawing. 

I need your advice ate Xyla and I would really appreciate it if you could help me out.

Yours truly,
Kath  

Hello Kath!

It’s normal to be terrified by your teacher sometimes but you have to overcome it by telling yourself “I can do this!” If you always think that you are not going to do any good in that subject, then it will not help you. You’re just making the situation worse because it’s like you’ve already accepted your defeat. Be positive. Always do your best. But remember, we can not please everybody. If she gives you a grade that you think you don’t deserve, then ask her why you receive that grade. If she gives you a credible reason, then accept it. Every now and then, we will encounter failures in life. And from these failures, we learn to stand up and do better things than before.

You are just in your first week and you already think that you can not do all those tasks. How about in the next few years? How about in college? All of us encounter difficulties in school. Only those optimistic people were able to manage it well. You have to believe in yourself. Like what I said, do your best. If you can’t meet their expectations, at least you did everything. That’s what matters most. Just learn how to manage your time well.

As for the drawing, practice makes perfect. I don’t know how to draw. Maybe you can search for it on Google or read books about drawing. :)