Dear Raider Sam,

I am beyond stressed for the upcoming application season. Thinking about not being good enough and being rejected scares me. I don’t know how to feel not overwhelmed! Any advice?

– Stressed Senior

Dear stressed senior,

First and foremost, there are a plethora of seniors in a similar position as yourself. Application season marks the beginning of your future, so it’s terrifying knowing that this portion of your life currently seems almost out of your control. Regardless of the decisions you receive, understand that neither an acceptance nor rejection defines your work ethic, passion or drive. The last four years have been monumental in regards to who you’re becoming as an individual. Take a deep breath and put your best effort into your applications. Best of luck.

Dear Raider Sam,

My last 3 years, I have struggled with my grades and my GPA is low. My GPA is nowhere near where my intelligence is accurately reflected. I can’t apply to UC’s, only CSU’s. I don’t want to attend a CSU. I plan on attending a community college, but that’s somewhat shameful. I plan on transferring to a big school, UCLA or Berkeley. It gets discouraging, but I know it is my fault

-Shameful Senior

Dear Shameful senior,

Look, GPA is only one variable in the equation. You may not have “accurately” represented your capabilities in terms of your GPA, but maybe you did in other areas of your life. It may not seem like you have options, but you do. CSU’s may not appeal to you, but there are still the options of privates and out of states. Your college journey begins with a reflection of where you are now, and where you see yourself. In the chance you end up at a community college, you aren’t subpar to anyone attending , say Harvard in terms of your ambition. There are multiple roads to success, so don’t stress about how you start, because it’s about how you finish.

Dear Raider Sam,

I struggle a lot with talking to girls. Although I don’t necessarily have the best of confidence, I don’t think that’s my problem. Now a days, every girl acts too good for most boys. Will I even go on a hot date this school year? I really don’t know.

-Mr. Lonely

Dear Mr. Lonely,

Starting with your concerns on the status of your “hot date”, I don’t know myself. Maybe you’ll have the stereotypical high school romance this year, or maybe you won’t. Let’s be honest, the ratio of females initiating a romantic encounter with a male is significantly lower than males initiating a romantic encounter with a female – or at least it Is when you’re roughly fifteen. If you have an interest in someone, try to take the time to get to know them. While taking the first step and testing your confidence may be intimidating, you will never know what could be if you don’t try. Keep your head up and keep going, it’s only high school and you’re still young. Best of luck, and here’s to you getting that steamy date. Oh, and if you do end up in a relationship this school year, remember, “catch and release.”