How to Have a Nice School Year With No Drama

Gossiping can lead to unwanted drama at school.

Starting in grade school, continuing throughout high school and sometimes even following young people into college, drama can make life at school stressful for students. School drama stems from a variety of issues ranging from gossip to jealousy to competing for the affections of members of the opposite sex. Although there is no way to completely avoid drama during your school career, you can practice certain behaviors to help yourself stay as drama free as possible.

Instructions

1. Keep busy. Get involved with a lot of school activities. The more time you spend doing structured things, the less time you will have for hanging out in the school yard or around campus where drama can brew.

2. Refrain from gossiping. It can be easy to get caught up in gossip in order to fit in. It is important to remember that not all gossip is true and will only lead to more drama and friction among you and your classmates. If one of your friends is gossiping about another student, change the subject or walk away.

3. Behave yourself on social networking websites. If you are angry at someone in your circle of friends, it can seem much easier to confront them from the safety of your own home hidden behind a computer screen than in person. However, remember that posting an argument or nasty comments on a social networking website will allow others to see the conversation leading to more drama and hurtful words.

4. Remember that not everything is worth starting a fight over. If your feelings are hurt because your friend forgot to text you back or went to the mall without you, sometimes it is best to just let it go. Only confront friends over serious issues and not just little everyday things.

5. Change your group of friends if necessary. Some young people live to gossip and cause drama. If you are hanging out with people like this and it is causing you anxiety, it may be time to find new friends who share other common interests with you.

6. Focus on your studies. Don't spend all your time getting involved in the personal business of everyone at school. Remember that the primary focus of school is to learn and to get good grades.

7. Refuse to be the middle man. If you are in a trio of best friends and the other two friends are always fighting, they may rely on you to take sides and listen to all of their dramatic stories. This is not a healthy or useful way to spend your time.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be afraid to talk to a parent, counselor or teacher if you find yourself in drama-filled situations that are overwhelming. Confiding in an adult does not make you weak. An older person may be able to help you put a situation into a new perspective.

• Know when drama turns into bullying. Occasional gossip or arguing in school is normal, but if you or any student is constantly the target of hurtful rumors or pranks on school grounds or on the Internet, this is considered bullying and serious measures need to be taken by an adult to avoid the target of the bullying from being physically or emotionally wounded.

References

• Seventeen: Avoiding Drama
• Dixie Sun: Completely Avoiding Drama is Impossible

Resources

• My Fox Atlanta: Teen Drama