Q.	I’m a smart person, but my grades are going down. I think it’s because I’m with my friend all the time. Do you think I should say anything to her? Kristen, 10 Alberta
A.	A real friend wouldn’t want your grades to drop if she knew you could be doing better. Let your friend know that you really like hanging out with her, but you need to spend more time and energy on your schoolwork. If she’s truly your friend, she’ll understand. Maybe you could even start reviewing for tests and reading over assignments together—that way you’d be making the grade as a friend and a student. Don’t worry about keeping her happy if you can’t keep your grades where they should be. Talk to her about the situation and agree that school comes first. Once you’re out of class and you’ve taken care of homework, then both of you can goof off and relax.
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