It’s back-to-school season, which can be a nerve-wracking time for many of us. Students, obviously, but also parents and teachers who now have to get back into the routine of the school year once more. The old adage of the tree leaves changing colors signaling the change in our lives stays as true as ever. This time of year can be frightening for a student, especially one transferring or advancing to a new school, no matter their age. One universally-effective solution to first-week jitters...

It can be hard for kids to make friends and engage during class. Classrooms and curriculums aren’t designed to foster friendships and a sense of community, they’re designed to facilitate learning. Which is fine, but it can be hard for a lot of kids to reach out during class times. Difficult assignments, uncomfortable seating arrangements, and long lectures are all factors contributing to this. So it can be really beneficial for students to have other avenues to explore social interactions....

It can be a lot easier to recognize and put emphasis on the problems and complications in our lives, as opposed to the positives and happy coincidences. It’s harder to recognize when you’re actually not having a problem that you used to have. A few weeks ago, I dropped a massive weight on my right ring finger, and it caused a really painful and abnormal-looking bruise to appear. I was really worried because it didn’t look like a typical wound and it hurt quite a bit. But eventually it faded....