Welcome back from your favorite well of wisdom, Anonymous Andi! Aside from the construction, and a few new faces on campus, the traditions and structure of Burroughs remain constant from year to year. For individuals, though, the school becomes a whole new world upon arriving in August. Each grade carries its own specific vibe and responsibilities. Here I culled my favorite bits of advice 🙂

To the seventh grade:
There is a golden hour of seventh grade when it isn’t weird or awkward to step out of your comfort zone. While you learn new faces and names, friend groups remain open and fluid. Utilize this time to get to know 7th (and 8th) graders before you feel uncomfortable just sitting by someone new and introducing yourself.

Don’t try too hard to stand out. Speaking from experience, my suitcase backpack and Christmas turtleneck sweater wardrobe weren’t the conversation starters I had imagined.
Don’t try too hard to fit in. I’ve never known someone to proudly admit to buying followers on instagram or commenting “lb” on Kendall Jenner’s posts.

If you are from Forsyth, please stop singing your old school songs.
Keep in touch with your old friends. They are priceless when it comes to finding space outside of the Burroughs Bubble. And it’s ok if those friends go to MICDS. I promise.
Instagram faux pas of the year: adding JBS ‘23 to your bio.

To the eighth grade:
You’ve got a whole year left to permissibly act like a kid. Don’t squander it trying to be 25. Enjoy letting your parents drive you to Six Flags, haunted houses and Catholic school mixers.

Start researching for your term paper now! You should already be freaking out since the eighth grade term paper pretty much determines how the entire rest of your life will pan out–see Mr. Wagner’s “cardboard box” theory.

I was kidding about #2.

Instagram faux pas of the year: paragraph long birthday posts which include more inside jokes than fired members of the Trump administration.

To the ninth grade:
Unless you ingeniously chose fitness as your fall sport, you have completed the most difficult part of freshman year: preseason. Freshman year is defined by zero personal space in an infantile commons, donning the JBS jersey for the first time, auditioning for your first high school show, ordering pizza to the commons and realizing having five frees is a terrible decision.

The biggest secret of Burroughs is that finals week isn’t actually terrible. Sure, it’s a bunch of studying, loads of stress and calculating and recalculating what grade you need, but you can also wear pajamas to school without judgement. So it’s not terrible.
Instagram faux pas of the year: “subtle” flex and “subtle” facetune all accompanied by a soft smile.

To the tenth grade:
As a sophomore you know the ins and outs of high school but don’t yet have the stress of standardized tests, APs and college. Bask in that. This is the year for you to branch out and explore a new side of JBS. Don’t let yourself get to senior year and say, “I wish I would’ve auditioned for a show. I wish I would’ve tried robotics or SMVC or writing for “The World.” 10th grade isn’t a cakewalk but you’re the top dog of 6th period lunch, likely the captain of your JV sport, and anxiously awaiting your 16th birthday and the freedoms of driving.
It’s best to plan your Blue and Gold proposal over the summer; scout out the date situation during booksale, and secure your date by the end of September at the latest. Asking any later than Labor Day is honestly embarrassing.

Notice: you will lose 1-4 friends this year due to self assigned lunch seating. Mix it up and sit with a different group each month to minimize losses.

Instagram faux pas of the year: plugging your snapchat in your insta bio.

To the 11th grade:
Don’t write your term paper in 3 days. Don’t write your term paper in 3 days. Don’t write your term paper in 3 days. Don’t write your term paper in 3 days. Don’t write your term paper in 3 days. Don’t write your term paper in 3 days. Don’t write your term paper in 3 days. Don’t write your term paper in 3 days. Don’t write your term paper in 3 days.

Instagram faux pas of the year: putting off writing your term papers to finsta about how stressed you are and how you haven’t started to write your term paper.

To the 12th grade:
Chill; you’re gonna go to college. Graduate. Instagram faux pas of the year: senior picture captions that try to act like you’re not just posting this pic to say, “Look at this great picture of me. Standing in a field of flowers. Smiling. Softly. Into the distance. How crazy that this candid moment was captured?”

Wishing you a great start to the year,
Andi

Please submit questions to
[email protected]
Anonymous Andi is an unknown member of the Burroughs community whose identity changes from year to year, and occasionally from issue to issue. Only Andi will have access to submitted questions each month.