Hello DV students – thank you for submitting to the Wildcat Tribune’s advice column! We’ve tried our best to answer your questions for this week.

Disclaimer: The advice of the Wildcat Tribune Advice Column is provided by students, for students. While we have your best interests in mind, and we will try our best to help you, we are not expert sources for more serious topics. Our advice is intended to support you and help guide your decisions, but you are in no ways obligated to take it. Please email the Tribune if you feel the need to reach out for any kind of help or follow up for any inquiries.

The Tribune reserves the right to abstain from responding/publishing any submission. Please refrain from explicitly referencing other individuals in your submissions and/or using explicit language, as doing so may warrant the partial or total redaction of your question. We will not tolerate threats directed towards other students, and we will not respond to questions that we determine to be offensive or violent in nature.

Want to ask some anonymous questions and get advice? Our form opens every Monday and closes on Friday at 11:59 pm. Responses are always posted on Sundays on this website. Week 18’s responses will be available on Sunday, March 3.

Week 18 form: https://goo.gl/forms/95knjKIhG1ThXvPO2

Q: Dear Wildcat Tribune, I don’t like my friends anymore, but I don’t want to confront them about it. Every time I hang out with them, I feel drained. What should I do?

– 😛

A: Hi :P,

People change, including you and the people around you. This is just one of those moments where you’ve begun to realize more about yourself and the people you surround yourself with, and it’s a sign of growth. In short, it’s a good thing, if a tad disconcerting and uncomfortable to experience in the moment. To put it metaphorically, you’re like a hermit crab that’s outgrown its shell and now needs to find a new one. You’ve matured, as teenagers our age (hopefully) do.

So, you gotta re-adjust yourself.

This newfound sense of displacement felt in the company of your friends that you’re describing to me is something that probably stems mostly from within yourself. Maybe it’s your friends that are slow to develop, and that’s why you’re feeling drained—because you have accommodate them. But that’s not something within your power to change, especially by confronting them about it. However, you can change the way you approach your friends, or you can choose to make new ones. Everything about you—the way you feel, the way you live on a daily basis, who you associate with—is up to you! That’s the best part about life. It’s all, ultimately, up to you. I suggest that if you want to feel more fulfillment in your interactions with others, you might have to adjust your own approach, reflect on the kind of friend that you want to be, and consider expanding your social circle. Rather than expecting others to gratify your social and emotional needs and care for you, put in effort to turn your attention inwards and care for yourself.

It’s definitely hard. As a teenager, life revolves around social interaction, and everybody wants the kind of BFF we’ve grown up seeing on TV that can be at our beck and call, through “thick and thin”. At the end of the day, however, that’s not healthy, sustainable, or feasible. And you’ll be graduating. It might be rough now, but it’ll pass. Hang in there. There’s a lot of faces to meet, yet. And there’s a lot more to you than the people around you.

– Sarah Kim

Q: So there’s this guy in my English class that I’m kind of friends with and kind of like as more than a friend. We only get to hang out during that class because we both have sports after school. How should I let him know I might like him, but might not? 

– Sweet Sister

A: Dear Sweet Sister,

If you think that you “might like him, but might not,” I’d definitely hold off on telling him, because if he returns your affections but you turn out to not have liked him beyond a friend in the first place, you’re taking the risk of leading him on. I suggest becoming clear about your feelings before you make your next move. And I get it— we all get these kind of crushes, but more often than not, they fade away pretty quickly. Give yourself some time to determine if what you’re feeling is real. If you do decide you like him and want to pursue a relationship (or just tell him), I suggest either using the good old-fashioned “tell my friends who tell his friends who tell him” route or straight up tell him you like him in person during one of your after-school sports practices. However, since your feelings aren’t quite clear, I’d go with using the former since by using the friends of the friends route, you won’t end up committing to anything you’re not ready and can (this sounds awful but it’s kind of true) back out more easily.

Good luck!

Oce

Q: I need help. Whenever I post a meme on Reddit, I can’t seem to get upvotes. I need advice on how to make better memes. Please help. 

– A Fellow Nine Year Old

A: You’re probably not funny enough for it. The truth hurts, but it is what it is. 

– Harshita

A: I have learned this the hard way; from experience. I have a thing for classical music memes (I play the cello) and all my memes and comments never get enough upvotes. Maybe if I’m lucky, I get like 4. So, it’s a harsh reality, but life is hard. It’s a good lesson to learn. You just need to be funnier. Don’t worry, I believe in you! 🙂

-Best of Luck,

Daniela

Q: What is it like to have your wisdom teeth removed? 

– i‘m in pain

A: Dear i’m in pain,

There’s not much to remember about the actual procedure – so if you’re nervous about that, there’s no need! They put you under pretty quickly, and then you’ll be woken up, helped into a wheelchair, and put into your car to be driven back home (don’t try to drive yourself back home). They’ll probably give you some gauze to place in your mouth. I was pretty drowsy and a little nauseous after the procedure. Take it easy immediately after your wisdom teeth removal – try to leave your schedule open so that you can rest. The pain and swelling around the sides of your face/jaw usually happens later that day, and (in my experience) lasts for about 4 days. I mostly stayed in bed, resting frequently and holding an ice pack to the side of my face, which can help reduce the swelling. You can definitely take painkillers if needed. 

Oce: I’d definitely suggest planning out your entertainment and food in advance— make sure to be specific about what you like and have it on stock. (My parents bought me vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate and it felt like the end of the world. I cried for an hour.)

It’s not recommended that you try to eat anything (and your mouth will probably be too sensitive after the procedure to do this), so try to stick to liquids. Yogurt, protein shakes, and water will give you some energy when you’re on a liquid/very soft food diet. Make sure you do consume something, because it’s common to unnaturally lose a lot of weight. It might be a rough 3-5 days, but it’ll all be over pretty quickly.

Best,

Taylor and Oce

Q: この学校で、日本語のクラスを組み込まれたら色々な人は気に入れると思ってますか？

– 誰かくん

A: 誰かくん,

はい、私はそう思う!

(すみません、私は日本語が 少しわかります/はなせます…でも私は日本語が上手でわありません。)

– テイラー

P.S. I’m sorry if this wasn’t really the answer you were looking for, or if I misinterpreted your question!