
Ashley Pritchard, MA
School Counselor
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Co-authored Articles (84)

The Best Practices for Emailing a Teacher About Being Absent
What you can say to tell a professor or teacher you won’t be in classIt happens! Sometimes you have to miss school. Whether you have a doctor’s appointment during math class or wake up sick with the flu, everyone mis...

How to
Email a Professor
Tips for a respectful and effective formal emailWriting an email to a professor takes a bit more thought than shooting an email to a friend or sending a text. Your education is the beginning of your professional career, ...

How to
Pass Time in Class
Time flies when you’re having fun, but it grinds to a halt when you aren’t interested in what’s going on in class. Luckily, if you can find a way to get engaged, that hour-long math lecture will be over before you ...

How to Make New Friends from Around the World
Best apps, sites, and advice for making friends from different countriesAs our world becomes more connected, forming friendships with people from all across the globe has never been easier. Thanks to the internet and nif...

How to
Email Teachers
If you cannot make it to your teacher's office hours, you can always email them. This wikiHow will give you some advice on how to email your teacher and avoid any confusion or miscommunication.

How to
Study a Week Before an Exam
You're ready to ace your upcoming exam, but first you have to study. If there's only a week until your exam, you might be feeling stressed out and not sure where to start. Fortunately, a week can be enough time to get re...

How to
Start a Club
Learn how to run and manage your own club Clubs are great ways to connect people with similar interests. If you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own club, you can easily make it happen with a little time and effort. Yo...

How to
Make School Time Fly
You know the feeling. The clock says 2:00, and you don't get out of school till 3:00. Every second seems to drag on for an hour. Nonetheless, you can make the time pass a little faster if you give it some effort.

How to
Be a Good Boy
Being a good boy is not always easy, especially if you are having trouble being good at both home and school. The most important thing is that you treat your family members, teachers, and the people around you with kindn...

How to
Become a Straight A+ Student
Making an A+ in every single class is quite an accomplishment as a student. Do you think you have what it takes? Contrary to popular belief, you don't necessarily have to be the smartest person to make great grades—but...

How to
Introduce Yourself in Class
Introducing yourself to a class, whether you are the student or the teacher, can feel daunting. Deciding what and how much to share, overcoming anxiety, and presenting yourself as an interesting and engaged person are st...

How to
Avoid Distractions While Studying
You know you really want to get good grades. Your parents have put the pressure on, or you promised yourself you would do better. But you keep getting distracted! If you work to find a focused mindset, establish a study ...

How to
Make New Friends in High School
When you get to high school, it can seem like it's hard to make new friends because everyone already knows each other. For others, it's the intimidating step of making completely new friends if you've graduated a K-8 pri...

Teen Girl Backpack Essentials for School: Ultimate Checklist
Learn what you should always keep in your bag for schoolWhether you’re a high school freshman or just starting college, it’s important to pack your school bag right. That way, you won’t leave behind anything you re...

How to Make Friends at School: For Middle or High School!
School counselors weigh in on the best ways to meet new friendsIf you’re new to a school or you have a tendency to be shy and introverted or tend to not get out of your comfort zone, making new friends at school might ...

13 Easy Ways to Stay Organized in School (for All Ages)
Organize your materials, time & study habits with our expert guide Staying organized is a great way to succeed in school. By organizing your assignments, school supplies, and study schedule, you’ll almost certainly fi...

How to
Increase Concentration While Studying
Concentrating is hard especially if it is a hard subject or a boring subject. While studying has never been the most exciting aspects of school, it doesn't have to be the drag that it is made out to be. With a sense of d...

How to
Deal With a Bad Grade
It’s always upsetting to receive a grade that’s lower than what you hoped for, but it’s important to not let it get you down. If you deal with a bad grade in the right way, you can learn from your mistakes to becom...

How to
Make Friends in Middle School
Making friends in middle school can be a little nerve-wracking—but it doesn’t have to be! By being friendly and putting yourself out there, you can form friendships that will last all throughout middle school (and be...

How to
Be a Smart Student
It's easy to fall behind in school whether you're smart or not – it's a lot of work! To be a smart student – a student who knows how to study and how to succeed – you've got to start from day one. With ...