I'm in eighth grade and it's been a hard year so far. Most of my friends from last year aren't my friends anymore. I'm really different from my few pals right now. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but we're just different. I like to party, have fun, and go crazy. They don't.

On top of that, I got dumped just a few weeks after school started and I've been single and sad since then. All of that, plus grades, family, and my lack of confidence is making life really hard. I've made some choices that I'm not proud of. I wish I could take them back but I can't. I don't know what to do!

Everyone makes choices that they wish they could take back at some stage in their life. It’s a major part of growing up. Try to learn from your mistakes instead of regretting your decisions.

Don’t limit your life to partying or trying to be the life of every fiesta. Discover interests that your new friends have and that you could potentially enjoy. Join new clubs or go out for a brand-new sport next semester.

Try and talk things out with your old friends and see what’s up. I’m sure you still have things in common and miss each other, so take a step towards working out your differences. Write them a funny note about how much you miss 'em and try to arrange a get-together over a cup of hot chocolate.

Remember that the school year isn’t even halfway over, so there’s still time to meet people with common interests. Get involved and get talking. You might meet some other girls who are interested in being fun and silly. BUT, don’t ditch your new friends and completely forget the old ones.

As for the BF, forget about him. You might still be a bit heartbroken now and it’s going to take you a little while to get over things, but you’ll shake that feeling soon enough. The best way to get over a guy is to find a new one to crush on, so start flirting!

And keep your chin up. Your year is on it’s way up and everything will turn in your favor soon enough.

11/30/2009 7:00:00 AM