Why Ending a Friendship Should Not Be Villainized

Posted on March 27, 2026 by Olivia B.

Ending a friendship with someone is often treated like a horrible thing to do, something cruel and morally wrong. But these ideas are ignorant to the truth: some friendships simply do not last forever. Leaving a friendship in the past is not an action that automatically makes one dramatic, selfish, or in the wrong.

Everyone grows and changes as a person; values shift, priorities change, interests fade away… All of that is a normal, inevitable thing. Unfortunately, these changes can also lead to friendships becoming weaker. The person you once promised to be friends with forever may suddenly feel like a stranger. Maybe there was a change in personalities, or you realized that you two do not really agree with each other. In situations like these, it is better to just let the friendship go, rather than to hold onto it and hope it rebuilds itself. Staying in a friendship out of guilt or fear does not make you loyal, it just makes you stuck.

We villainize individuals that leave relationships because we fear endings. Humans fear the unknown and are uncomfortable with the idea of losing something that was once a comfort. Endings also indicate a loss of control, and control is something that we are naturally drawn to. Another thing is that ends force us to mature and move on, which is something that is difficult for many. Most people find themselves stuck in friendships, simply because they are not willing to step out of comfort zones. But time keeps on moving, and we are the only ones that can decide who we spend our lives with.

Of course, ending a relationship should not be careless and harsh. The most important thing is that you are honest, take accountability, and are kind about it overall.

Ending a friendship does not erase the previous memories. It does not mean that the relationship was fake. It just means that you are letting go of a fading connection, and that should not make you a villain.

Confidence is Key

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Gemma G.

Confidence is a powerful force that influences your thoughts, actions, and even your success overall. When you believe in yourself, you’re more likely to overcome challenges and pursue opportunities that can lead to extremely beneficial rewards. Confidence is essential for the stages of adolescence and also the world beyond.

The key ingredient to having confidence in yourself means recognizing your worth and acknowledging your skills/abilities. It’s about understanding the characteristics or skills that make you unique and who you are. Lucille Ball, an American comedian and actress, once said “Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line.” This quote has great meaning because it emphasizes the importance of being your own source of happiness, as this allows you to not only foster confidence but also find fulfillment in your life without depending on others.

You should always remember that everyone, including the most successful people, has come face-to-face with self-doubt. With this in mind, know that self-doubt will at some point creep in, but it’s crucial to challenge those negative thoughts. When you encounter a negative inner-voice, counter it with a positive affirmation about yourself. Try to think about a couple of qualities that you possess that make you feel proud of who you are. It can be as simple as “I’m resilient and responsible, I will succeed.”

Below are 3 Simple Steps to Boost Confidence

1. Set Realistic and Achievable Goals: Break down long-term goals into smaller steps. Make sure to celebrate each achievement, even if it’s small.

2. Practice Self-Care: Maintain your physical and mental well-being. Eat healthy, exercise, and also take time to rest.

3. Visualization: Picture yourself achieving success, whether that’s getting an A on a test or performing well in a sport. Visualization will decrease your anxiety and prepare you for accomplishment!

Confidence is a journey, not a destination. It will have it’s ups and downs, but as long as you embrace every success and maintain a positive outlook on yourself, you will be able to handle just about anything.

Study Tips That Actually Help Me

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Preston L.

Studying can seem extremely overwhelming, especially when you are overloaded with other activities like sports and homework. It is easy for a teen to procrastinate or feel unmotivated to be productive, but over time, I have discovered a couple of study tips that help me stay focused without frying my brain. These tips may not work for everyone, but they have helped me a lot.

1. Break studying into smaller sessions

Studying for hours on end does not always work for me. These days, the attention span of people has significantly decreased over time because of stimulation from phones, the internet, multitasking, and stress. According to the American Psychological Association, a study done by Gloria Mark, PhD, of the University of California Irvine, shows that people could focus on a screen for an average of 2.5 minutes, which dropped to 75 seconds in 2012, and is now under 50 seconds (roughly 47 seconds in recent studies). Short sessions help me stay focused and avoid burning out. Having breaks in between is important as well, but you should go for a quick snack or walk instead of doom-scrolling on social media.

2. One Tab Rule

The one tab rule is a good way to maintain focus. You should allow your mind to concentrate on one task and one screen. Multi-tasking is a horrible way to get things done. It increases stress, depletes your mental energy, and increases the likelihood of making mistakes while working. When you multitask, you are just switching your focus between short time periods, and preventing yourself from getting into a “flow state.”

3. Moving Around

Movement resets mental fatigue. People talk about the physical benefits of exercising, but they also forget about the massive cognitive benefits, too. You should exercise daily, even if it’s just a 10-minute walk after a study session.

4. Time Block Your Entire Schedule

It is important to manage one’s time wisely. Even if you do not follow exactly what you schedule, having an idea of what tasks you need to complete for the day and estimating how much time each task takes is a great way to help with productivity. You can get more hours of sleep by knowing when to get things done during the day. If you do not assign a time for a task, then it does not exist.

5. Blur Test

Instead of just reading your notes and trying to memorize the information you read, you should be able to recall the information that you study. A great way to do this is to grab a blank sheet of paper and try to write down as much as you can about the topic you are studying. You can do this over and over again until you know everything in your notes. This way, you can ensure that you will be able to recall the information during an exam.

Everybody uses different techniques to study. The most important thing is that you find certain habits that work for you. Small changes like these tips that I have provided can make studying feel less stressful and more manageable.

One of My best Stress Relievers

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Preston L.

School can seem extremely overwhelming. Some days, I get extremely lucky, and I have little to no homework, but other days, I can have tons of upcoming tests, or assignments/projects due soon. Between school work, tests, and activities, it is extremely easy to feel stressed or burned out. When this happens, I think that doing some form of exercise really helps reset someone’s mind. For me personally, baseball and going to the gym helps my mental health a lot.

As a student, there seems like there is always pressure to keep up. Grades matter, time feels limited, and it can feel like I can never catch a break. Stress builds up faster than people realize. As a student in high school, it feels like there is so much pressure on every decision I make and how it might impact my future and my career.

Baseball helps me slow down and focus. When I am on the field or in the batter’s box, I’m not thinking about assignments or deadlines. I’m only focused on the next pitch, the next play, and being present in the moment. As a teen, playing sports clears your head and teaches you discipline and patience. Although, at times, there may be extremely frustrating moments while playing sports, it pushes one to get better and improve as a player and as a person.

Going to the gym helps in a different way. Lifting weights allows me to relieve stress physically. After a workout, I feel calmer, more confident, and more prepared to handle challenges at school. I recommend that everybody should try to consistently get in the gym. If you workout 3-5 times a week, you can notice some results pretty fast both physically and mentally. Going to the gym improves focus after studying and boosts one’s confidence.

Everyone handles stress differently. For me, baseball and the gym are perfect ways to protect my mental health while staying active. Finding something that helps you reset, whether it being sports, music, or journaling, can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

Pros and Cons of Being In An Immersion Program

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Isa M

I know that being bilingual seems like something super easy to achieve and that it’s all sunshine and rainbows. But it’s not. It’s hard. Here are some of the pros and cons of being in a dual immersion program.

Pros:

You can speak in two languages, how cool is that?!? I mean, you can talk to all kinds of people and it’s VERY helpful being able to talk about sensitive topics without almost everyone knowing. It doesn’t matter what language you talk in at your bilingual school, but it helps in public places.
You get experience from all different kinds of culture. Having this bicultural benefit helps students, like me, open our eyes to the world around us. The people in TWIS (Two-Way Spanish Immersion) with me are some of the most honest and open people I know.
There are communication pros. Like I said before, you can talk to all kinds of people, thus making YOU a well-rounded person. Given the fact that we are living in Southern California, there’s a very culturally diverse population. Being able to speak a common language, Spanish in my case, makes living here easier as I can communicate with almost everyone.
Imagine this: You are the boss at a Starbucks in San Juan Capistrano and there are two people applying for the same job. They both have the same educational background and you just can’t choose who to pick, they both have great resumes! And, what’s this, oh my, that person speaks an additional language? They will be so much more included to pick the bilingual applicant.

Cons:

Your grammar will never be right. No matter how good you might think you are in either language, your grammar will always be slightly off.
In middle and high school, you have no elective choice. The school automatically places you in your immersion class and in order to have an extra elective (that you actually want), you have to take a zero period.
At the start, you will be behind in English in elementary school. My school never even taught us English until third grade, so our grammar/vocabulary skills were behind.
You have to start early. Because dual immersion requires being able to fluently write/speak in both languages, you can not randomly accept new people into your program. To join, you HAVE to have come from an immersion school or a family that speaks the language at home.

Overall, I enjoy being in an immersion program and recommend it. It’s been a great experience and I have learned so much that it’s crazy. Definitely consider putting your kid in dual immersion or just hanging out with people from these programs, we are really cool.

Relaxing Hobbies to Help You Unwind During Finals

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Isa M

Finals suck. The massive projects worth ⅓ of your grade, the crazy long essays that have to be a test, everyone wearing pajamas and giving up. Yup, finals: everyone’s favorite time.

But, finals don’t have to suck this year. Here are some relaxing hobbies to help you calm down and enjoy life during this hard time.

Coloring! Get out your sketchbook and draw, or print some cute coloring pages online and color them in. This is a perfect hobby because NOTHING has to be perfect, you can make it as messy or as perfect as you want. Coloring is shown to help improve your focus and boost your creativity, so definitely consider coloring this May.
Baking! Who doesn’t love a delicious warm chocolate chip cookie, or an amazing decorated slice of cake? Take some time to bake sweet treats for yourself, your friends, and your families. Not only is this a great hobby because you can tune out to some music and just follow a recipe (which takes almost no brain power), but you also get to eat your incredible creations afterwards.
Gardening! Personally, I can’t really garden, but this is a proven hobby to help people destress. By going outside and connecting with nature, you’re letting your brain drift away. This helps your cognitive function, which then helps you with testing.
Literally anything you want. Any hobby of yours can help you keep your mind off of testing. Whether you’re playing video games or biking, just doing something you enjoy will help you feel better.

Take care of yourself this testing season. Try your best to get around 8 hours of sleep. I know it’s hard with sports and clubs, but by doing this you will feel less exhausted and your brain WILL WORK BETTER. Don’t stay up all night studying, because you will eventually fall asleep and not retain anything. So, ENJOY YOURSELF and STOP STRESSING.

What is HOSA– Future Health Professionals?

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Sophia B.

If you are a high schooler interested in the medical field, HOSA would be an amazing organization to get involved in! Health Occupations Students of America, or HOSA, is an international student organization that works to improve the access of high-quality healthcare to everyone and to promote potential careers in the medical field. HOSA offers a special program of leadership development, inspiration, and recognition.

The State Leadership Conference (SLC)

If your high school has a chapter, or you would like to start one, the main goal of the club is to compete at the SLC. You would need to compete in two different events, one fully online event (known as red events) and another online and in-person event (known as blue events). For example, some red events include Behavioral Health, Dental Terminology, Human Growth & Development, and Nutrition. Moreover, some blue events include Clinical Nursing, Dental Science, Medical Assisting, Sports Medicine, and Physical Therapy. However, in order to be eligible to compete at SLC, you would need to take tests on your knowledge of your events. If you pass your blue event, then you can compete at SLC and if you pass your red event, then you potentially can get recognized for being top 5 in the state (depending on your score).

The International Leadership Conference (ILC)

For both red and blue events, top 3 in the every state for an event are eligible to compete at the ILC in Nashville, TN. Along with competing, there are also workshops where you get to explore and learn about different paths of the medical field and tournaments like Anatomage (a team-based anatomy competition).

Overall, I hope I spiked your interest in HOSA! I have been apart of HOSA for two years and cherish the opportunities and knowledge it has brought me! I always have the most amazing time at the SLC with my friends and my passion for the medical field grows stronger every conference. I hope to see you at the next SLC!

-Sophia B.

AP Environmental Science Class Review

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Aleena C.

Let’s talk about AP Environmental Science (APES). The good news for anyone considering this course is that it’s among the most applicable APs in the real world. You’re learning about topics that genuinely affect your life, such as pollution, ecosystems, climate change, and how humans are destroying the planet (but also how we could fix it), rather than just memorizing facts for an exam.

The course itself combines problem-solving, policy, and science. Everything from biodiversity loss and energy use to food production and water resources will be covered. There are many debates concerning what is and is not sustainable, along with a small amount of biology and chemistry. It is definitely the easiest AP science course out there, though. You don’t really need much prior knowledge, and a lot of the course material that you do learn is totally applicable in real life, and most of the vocabulary words you learn you have heard of before in one instance or another.

Also, all the labs that we do are really fun! Think water testing, soil experiments, and possibly even some field trips if your teacher is cool. This class has some awesome labs and projects if you enjoy experiential learning. There’s this one lab that we did for the mining unit in APES. We kind of simulated that, but with cookies. We mined the chocolate chips out of the cookies and had to deal with the “environmental destruction” left behind—aka, the cookie crumbs everywhere. It sounds funny, but it actually did a great job of showing how mining works, from extraction to land reclamation. And yeah, just like real mining, the more you take, the harder it gets to put everything back together. Spoiler: The cookie never looks the same again.

Is it challenging? To be honest, it depends. The science won’t seem too overwhelming if you’ve taken AP Bio or AP Chem, but there is a lot of memorization required (carbon cycles, laws, various forms of energy, etc.). The AP exam’s free-response questions (FRQs) can be challenging because they require you to provide a clear explanation of a concept, but they are completely doable with practice!

But I wouldn’t worry about passing the exam, though. If you really take your time and think through each step and if you care deeply about the subject and want to learn more, I think you’ll be just fine!

Tips for Running Track

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Ethan W.

Track season is almost here, and that means a lot of meets right around the corner. Track can be a challenging sport, here are some things that I have learned for running during track season.

1. Get in a proper warm up and cool down.

Getting in a proper warm up and cool down is one of the most important parts of track. I find that getting a warm up and cool down before and after a workout makes running much easier. It can also help you to do better in races and can help you to avoid injury. Stretching before and after workouts is also very beneficial.

2. Wear the right shoes.

Wearing the right shoes is also important while running track. This can help you to improve your times for a race and it can also keep you from getting injured as well.

3. Keep the right pace.

One thing that I found very useful for running track is keeping the right pace. This is especially useful for distance events where you will need endurance over a longer distance and period of time. I found it helpful to keep a pace and maintain it throughout the race and then speed up closer to the end.

4. Get the right diet.

Having the proper diet and eating the right foods is very important for running track as well. It’s important to eat and hydrate before you run, especially before races. I also found it helpful to have a snack for after a race or a hard workout, as it helps to replenish some of the energy that you have lost.

5. Do a variety of workouts.

Doing a variety of workouts each time you train is also helpful for running track. Running the same workout every day can slow your improvement in running. Instead, it’s helpful to incorporate a variety of workouts when training, such as long runs as well as harder workouts. This can help with improvement and can be very useful, especially if you are running distance events.

6. Get good sleep.

Getting good sleep and proper rest is important for running track as well. Getting good sleep can help you to do better in a race, and being well-rested is one of the most important parts of running track.

7. Mentally prepare for races.

Finally, one of the most important parts of running track is being mentally prepared, especially before races. A large part of running, especially in track, is mental, and I found that a large part of running is being able to mentally ready yourself, especially before a race. I found that visualizing success and focusing on goals for the race was very helpful in doing better in a race as well.

Free Music Tutoring – Musical Mentors

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Sophia B.

Interested in music and want free tutoring? My high school has a weekly after school program on Thursdays from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm that offers music tutoring for elementary, middle, and high school students in the Capistrano Unified School District at no cost.

The goal of this student-led program is to inspire more students to keep practicing their instruments. Students are not required to have prior musical expertise, but they must bring their own instruments. Additionally, the students perform on a wide variety of band and orchestra instruments. Similarly, the mentors represent all instruments and grade levels. The students receive free lessons, grow closer to their mentor, and become more enthusiastic about music. As a result, the mentors build their confidence in their own teaching and playing skills while also gaining experience in mentoring. The mentors receive community service hours as an added incentive to participate in the program.

My brother volunteered as a musical mentor tutor for around four years and he passed the baton to me. Through this, I’ve learned how to teach and break down concepts for my students. Depending on the level of my students, I customize the lesson plans to meet their needs. This can include working on scales (fixing pitch and tone quality of the notes) and practicing how to count notes. Subsequently, I spend about an hour working with my students on songs that they need assistance with. Afterward, with thirty minutes remaining in the session, all students gather to practice rhythmic skills and prepare for our annual concert. At the end of the year, we host an annual concert that helps students become accustomed to playing in front of an audience while also providing parents with a chance to see what their children have learned.

Overall, the program helps our mentees develop a greater understanding and appreciation of music, increase their motivation to play their instruments, and work toward improving their musical skills. Musical Mentors is a beneficial and satisfying experience for parents, children, and mentors. I love teaching students, as I find it incredibly rewarding to connect one-on-one and expand their knowledge of music. I plan to continue mentoring for the rest of my high school career.