Make this school year your best one yet!

SHAKE SHYNESS "People always told me to open up but, when you're shy, it's really hard. But this past year, I tried it. I opened up and was fun to be around. I got more friends--and what you need the most in these years are friends."

Summer's over! The pools are closing, the temperature is dropping, and you have to trade in your freedom for a huge load of homework. Instead of spending your days chillin' out, you've gotta deal with teachers, cliques and crushes. If, for you, back-to-school means back-to-stress, worry no more. We asked, you told. GL readers dish the best tips and tricks for making this year rock.

START EARLY "I was always rushing into school at the last minute, and it made me feel hurried all day. Give yourself time in the morning to eat breakfast and hang a little with your BFF. It's a much nicer way to start the day."

GIVE IT A CHANCE "Don't stress over a new school. When I started high school last year, I was so nervous. But I like it better than middle school!"

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR "Be nice to the people next to your locker. You don't want to be on bad terms with someone you see all day."

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES "If you're a freshman, see if you can get into activities with upperclassmen. You'll feel more confident and involved."

FORGET MEAN GIRLS "When I feel like everyone hates me, I look around and realize only two girls give me problems. Even if they are popular, it doesn't mean their opinion is everyone's."

DON'T JUDGE "The sophomores told me my history teacher was tough and that it's hard to get a good grade in his class. At the start, I thought he gave too much work and was a bore. But as the year went by, I realized he isn't boring--I just never gave him a chance. I figured out he cares about us and wants us to learn. He's my favorite teacher."

PAY ATTENTION "I failed a lot of tests by goofing off. Toward the end of the year, I learned to take notes and follow the lessons. School is a lot better when you actually know what is going on and you're doing well."

ANSWER QUESTIONS This is a surefire way for your teachers to see you care about school--even on those days when you feel like you don't.

DON'T GET CAUGHT "I was really unprepared for all the pop quizzes the teachers gave us last year. I expected school to be easy, like it had been the year before. Wrong. This year, I plan to study every day and keep my notes a lot more up to date. Pop quizzes will no longer be my worst enemy."

PACE YOURSELF "Space out the work you need to do for big projects, so you can do a little every day. Cramming is never fun, and your work will be neater. I used this method on a science project. I ended up finishing three days early and getting an A!"

FOUR WORDS: KEEP YOUR LOCKER CLEAN "I'm not a major slob, but keeping your locker clean makes you organized--and easier to find stuff for your next class."

EXPECT CHANGES "You change so much--emotionally and physically. Last year, I had crushes on guy friends, fought with BFFs, got stretch marks, and went from an A cup to a C. If I'd known all this would happen, I'd have handled it better."

BE A GOOD APPLE "Girls are like apples on a tree. The best ones are at the top, but guys don't want to reach that far because they're afraid of falling. Instead, they grab the ones near the bottom-not as good but easier to get. The top apples think there's something wrong with them, but they're really amazing. They just have to wait for the guy who'll take the time to get a ladder and find the good apple."

SHUT UP! "Don't talk about other people behind their backs. If you have a problem with someone, solve it. Gossip just creates drama, ruins trust and makes things loads more complicated."

THINK BEFORE YOU BF "I thought having a BF would be great. Yeah, right! It took two BFs, a bad breakup and a terrible date to a dance to figure out life is more stressful with a BF because of rumors and game-playing."

HAVE PERSPECTIVE "In 30 years, it won't matter how your hair looked or if you had the coolest jeans. What will matter is what you learned!"

AT THE END OF THE DAY "What I wish I knew last year? No matter what, you will survive school!"