Editor’s note: With high schools back in session, Casa Grande High seniors last spring passed along to Gaucho Gazette reporters Camille Gasser and Itxaso Garay some of their wisdom.

What advice would you give to underclassmen?
Brian Baird
High school is a small portion of your life. Stay calm and take deep breaths. Take 10 short breaths followed by 10 long breaths, then repeat. Breathing like this always helps. High school is not as serious or important as you think. Just take it like a cool breeze and flow through it. Always work hard. It feels better to get work done; you feel productive. You’ll have to do work for the rest of your life, so it is good to get in that habit. Learn as much as you can in school. You don’t always have to dislike all of your teachers; you can have a good experience with any teacher as long as you have a good disposition going into the class. Even if you aren’t learning, you can have a positive attitude.
In high school, you can’t forget your friends. Stay a social creature. Friends can help you get through hard scholastic times and can open the door to fun times and experiences. When drama comes up, just ignore it. As an athlete, I would recommend doing a sport because it makes you feel better about yourself. The whole team can come together to achieve a common, tangible goals. Something really important is to keep a good relationship with your parents. They can help you. Just realize that high school is only four years and won’t impact the rest of your life as much as you think it will. High school is just a stepping stone in the river of life. Just have fun with it.

How to avoid senioritis
Juan Bravo
Senioritis is the feeling that you don’t want to do anything. You just want to have fun and be in the real world right away. The symptoms are not working and procrastinating. You get easily distracted and some people start cutting or ditching class. It usually starts around the end of April or the beginning of May, right around when senior projects are due. You can skip one to two assignments but don’t let it become a habit because it could become a serious issue. Also don’t procrastinate on important assignments like speeches or term papers. Listen to some of your impulses, but make sure you do what you’re supposed to do to pass. You cannot avoid senioritis entirely — every senior will feel it at one point.

How to complete your senior project
Lesly Caballero
First, for your senior project, pick a subject that really interests you. Have a good idea of what you’re going to do the first semester. If you say you’re going to do one thing the first semester but then switch, you won’t learn as much as you could have if you were focused on just one idea. Do not wait until the last minute — it doesn’t work. Keep working on your project throughout both semesters: Part of the work won’t be due until the second semester, but by then you’ll have to worry about other classes, prom, graduation, etc. You have to do a senior project anyways, so you might as well do something you enjoy. You’ll end up learning a lot.

How to successfully ditch class
Lovepreet Gill
First, you need a good excuse to tell your parents because the office always calls home. I usually tell my parents that the teacher made a mistake and didn’t mark me or that they didn’t see me or that I was in the restroom. Teachers need a good excuse for why you aren’t in class because otherwise they won’t accept any work that you turn in. You also really need a place to go. If you stay on campus, the supervisors usually get suspicious. Don’t go to the library because they usually check your passes. I would suggest the back exit out of all of them. If you get caught, then you should you should act really frazzled. Act like you have lost your pass or you are lost in general. To ditch, you need really good acting skills. The best way to avoid being caught would be to stay in class. I have only ever ditched to get work for classes done. Be quick, but remember that no one is watching you so don’t be paranoid. Remember to act casual, don’t hide in bushes. I have done that before. I really don’t suggest more than three ditches a month because the school might catch on and you could get into more serious trouble. Use your ditching time effectively.

How to ask a girl to prom
Nathaniel Gerdes
You have to think of something really clever. If you get down on one knee and offer the Ring Pop to the girl, she can’t say no. Always remember to be super clever. Being unspecific or broad when you ask her won’t be as awesome. Don’t procrastinate. It is never too early to ask, unless it is before January. You have to think about that you need to sign up and get tickets, and you don’t want to run out of time. If you are nervous, drink orange juice because it is a natural anxiety reliever. Basically, be the man. Don’t do anything that has been overused; be original. Don’t worry if you get rejected. If you go in with the attitude that you aren’t really worried, then it is chill if she says yes, but it’s also fine if she says no. If she says no to you, then you are obviously better than she is in every way. What she is really saying to you when she says no is, “You are way too good for me and I couldn’t go with you.”