“I recently broke up with my boyfriend and he was just moved to four of my classes and sits next to me in two of them.  What should I do so we can still be friends? -C.C., freshman

First of all, I’m in the exact same boat as you right now.  I broke up with my boyfriend of about a year (officially three months) in September.  It felt like the world had ended, and that pain still burdens me on a daily basis.

In terms of him being in your classes, it really depends on how awkward things are between you two.  Do you still talk? Do you text or Snapchat outside of school? Is there resentment? I still talk to my ex and the issues that we used to have are no longer a concern of ours, making the whole situation different.

Because you are a freshman, understand that you have a lot more time left here at the high school.  There are so many ways to get involved, so many things that you will learn, and people that you have yet to meet.

It’s hard for me to say this because I still have trouble believing it, but you will feel better.  There are so many things you will learn. This feeling right now, the awkwardness and the confusion is a learning experience in itself.  

If you need ways to pick yourself, here are a few that I’ve found to be useful:

• Find a friend who will bring you chocolate ice cream and potato chips.  Or go get them yourself.
• Sleep more.
• Don’t listen to sad music.
• Watch TV!  Find a list of five shows that you like and binge.
• Don’t fall into a rut of doing the same things that remind you of what happened.
• Find someone to talk to.
• Try something new.  Change up your schedule.

Good luck, and know that you aren’t alone in this, or anything you might be going through.