Anna Said:

I've just received my 1st job, and I'm already on the verge of being fired. Please help?

We Answered:

You should tell him that you did handle the job not only professionally, but as instructed in your employee manual / training course. Oh wait- there was no employee training course? Then how could he expect you to know what to do?

Be polite but firmly explain the situation. According to your question, you DID NOT allow the children to continue speaking to you in that manner. I'm assuming that you also didn't overstep your boundaries by giving them personal advice or flirting. Tell this to your boss and make sure he is clear that the campers were flirting with you, NOT vice versa, and that you did everything within your power to stop their inappropriate behavior. If you want to, act a bit ashamed/embarassed and say that you really didn't know what to do because nobody had set out clear guidelines for what to do in that situation.

In the meantime, I suggest you talk to one of your colleages that you trust. See if you can involve them in spreading a rumour that you're actually in college too, but you said you were younger because you're a "spy" from the camp administration and you've been sent to monitor their behaviour. One counseller would just have to "accidentally" let that slip to just one or two campers and soon everyone would be a little bit more careful about what they said/did around yoU!

Rhonda Said:

Can you help me with the job interview jitters?

We Answered:

Concentrate on breathing deeply -- the high pitched voice comes from shallow breathing. Practice breathing deeply as often as you can before the interview.

Remind yourself of all of your qualifications. Everyone is nervous during an interview but think of how you would feel if you knew deep down that you were not qualified for the job. Just remind yourself you would be an excellent employee and have some pride in yourself.

Whatever you do, don't chew gum and try to remind yourself not to be fidgety. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Rita Said:

How to list this on a resume - teenager, high school student (more details)?

We Answered:

Count the same (prior) organization as you would any other organization.

Francisco Said:

please edit/critique my college application essay?

We Answered:

You can obviously write well, but your essay sounds stiff, formal and a bit contrived, as though you wrote it with a dictionary or thesaurus next to you. Do you normally use words and phrases like, "delectation," "implanted sense of responsibility," and "intrinsic motivation?" Your writing sounds like that of a much older person (as though someone else wrote your essay, not you) rather than someone who is young, enthusiastic and full of life. Instead of hiding behind your vocabulary, you need to speak from your heart so the admissions officers can really hear your voice speaking to them. Also, flabbergasted doesn't work at all in the first sentence -- baffled works fine all by itself.

Valerie Said:

Is it bad to be a senior in high school and love being drunk?

We Answered:

I enjoyed getting drunk in high school too, but I'm not encouraging it. The biggest problem with high school kids and alcohol is that most of them don't know how to handle it and run a huge risk of hurting themselves or someone else or becoming an alcoholic in the future. If it runs in the family you have to be SO careful. Even though you sort of understand the monster, I am willing to bet there are kids around you (even in your close circle of friends) who don't and will get hurt at some point, or at least do permanent damage to their reputation. You should seriously consider your influence on these people.

Consider yourself lucky to have such a caring group of friends to drink with who won't take advantage of you. Some people go their whole lives without that. It IS tons of fun, I completely understand that. I remember how everyone was so adorable and insane when they were drunk in high school. It's not always like that in college. Aside from the obvious dangers of being drunk with strangers, some people will be strange, or scary, or just plain reckless around you. Always go out with trustworthy people, and keep them with you even if you leave a party early.

Just keep your priorities straight and never let your grades or your health suffer because you turned into a party animal.

Angela Said:

What are my chances for an Ivy?

We Answered:

You'll definitely be alright. Just be sure to write some good essays and to stay humble. I'd apply to some safety schools in the bottom of the top 10 list just to be sure, but you wont need to go below that