19 Secrets Every Smart Girl Should Know

Ready to make this year totally amazing? We have 19 ways to do just that: Cut ’em out, paste ’em to your locker, tape ’em to your mirror, shellac ’em to your desk. We tapped teachers, experts, celebs and even your fellow GL readers for secrets *every* girl should know. Brush up and head back to school with confidence. Yep, you’re welcome.

- Laura Greenback

1 FIND YOUR PASSION—AND FOCUS

“You don’t have to play every single sport and join every single club. Find a niche you really like and dive in. That’s how you’re going to succeed. If you try to be everything, you’ll just get burned out.” —Heather Tasker, high school English and cinema teacher in Sussex County, N.J.

2 REMEMBER, GROWTH IS A GOOD THING

“Don’t be scared of it. Swallow your fears and go for that class election or debate team spot, and don’t worry about what people will think. If someone doesn’t want you to grow, she’s not your real friend.” —Haley Kilpatrick, founder of the Girl Talk mentoring program

3 BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND

“You need to have your own back. That’s true self-acceptance. Think of what your best friend would say to you, and say that to yourself. She would tell you, ‘Your hair looks great today!’ or ‘Don’t worry about that test. You tried your best.’” —Leslie Grubb, happiness coach who runs self-esteem workshops for teens

4 MAP OUT HOMEWORK

“Make a schedule of everything you need to do, and order it by how hard it is and how long each thing will take. Do the hard stuff in the beginning, and work your way down to the easiest assignment. That’s how I got through sophomore year!” —Maria G., 17, a high school senior in Denver

5 BUILD SOLID SOCIAL KARMA