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Back-to-school szn is here. If you're feeling equal parts excitement (shopping for new outfits and seeing your bsfs again!) and crippling anxiety (will you fit in and, uh, will you have classes with your crew?), it's totally normal. And whatever worries are plaguing you rn, we have you covered with content recs that will remind you just how very ~not~ alone you are.

If you're nervous about...Starting at a new school

Tbh, starting from scratch is enough to make even people with peak chill melt into an anxiety puddle.

XO, Kitty
Why we 🩷 it: The ultimate study abroad experience (plus swoony love interests)? We say yes.
Life Lesson: Going somewhere totally new and different can actually be the exact life-changing adventure you need.

My Life with the Walter Boys
Why we 🩷 it: This love triangle will be your next obsession—but whether you're Team Cole or Team Alex, you'll probably be surprised by the season one ending.
Life Lesson: Friendships will help an unfamiliar place truly start to feel like home—so keep your mind (and heart) open to making new connections (even surprising ones).

@annacathcart

If you're nervous about...Not having any classes with your friends

Walking into one room full of strangers is stressful enough, let alone a full day's worth. Gulp.

The Baby-Sitters Club
Why we 🩷 it: Getting paid to be in a club with all of your best friends? If "basically the dream" were in the dictionary, this would be its definition.
Life Lesson: Spending time together outside of school can be even more rewarding than the hours during the day. Savor those moments (and btw, making a few new friends in your classes is also cool).

Dumplin'
Why we 🩷 it: Willowdean's decision to enter a pageant and make a statement about problematic beauty norms is pure inspo.
Life Lesson: Try something new—it may not be in protest like Willowdean (or maybe it is), but you will learn loads about yourself by taking a chance and advocating for what you believe in.

@realsophiegrace

If you're nervous about...Sooo much homework

When you look at your class schedule and it feels like it might as well just say "learn literally all the things."

Shadow and Bone
Why we 🩷 it: The show might be high fantasy, but the dynamic of The Crows (the eccentric group of misfits/thieves) is truly relatable.
Life Lesson: When you're drowning in academic doubt, manifest your own never-give-up energy (it might not be the power of the sun, but good enough) and totally pull off this semester.

XO, Kitty (again)
Why we 🩷 it: In season one, Kitty is Going Through It. Cue up episode three if you're experiencing early report card panic.
Life Lesson: Need help? A tutor is a great option (and don't worry: IRL, the odds of your tutor being the person you thought you were dating who is currently fake-dating another person are low).

@shadowandbone

If you're nervous about...Being too weird to fit in

On the outside, you look effortlessly confident. On the inside, you're swirling in self-doubt.

Wednesday
Why we 🩷 it: Wednesday is an authenticity queen. She lives her truth and finds her people—including a bestie with a totally opposite aesthetic.
Life Lesson: When you're genuinely yourself, you find the friends who appreciate exactly who you are.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Why we 🩷 it: It's so high school to feel alone and insecure, but after three and a half hours of nonstop Taylor Swift, you'll go from feeling like the anti-hero to realizing you're the man.
Life Lesson: Shaking off your insecurities isn't always easy, but best believe you're still bejeweled when you walk in the (home)room.

@wednesdaynetflix

If you're nervous about...Ending up in a love triangle

Because sometimes crushing leads to drama—we get that.

The Summer I Turned Pretty
Why we 🩷 it: Belly's love triangle might have bloomed over summer break, but going back to a familiar place and finding that your relationships with the people there have changed? That's major back-to-school energy.
Life Lesson: The heart wants what it wants (but sometimes it takes the heart a while to figure out exactly what—or who—that is).

Young Royals
Why we 🩷 it: You might have to wait 'til season two for the love triangle, but this European boarding school has plenty of drama to tide you over.
Life Lesson: Romance anxiety is real—and no one is immune (not even literal royals).

@primevideo

If you're nervous about...Not remembering your locker combination

That feeling of dread when three numbers stand between you and everything you need for fourth period.

Davey and Jonesie's Locker
Why we 🩷 it: This show is here to remind us that maybe forgetting your locker combination is actually for the best, because you could end up with a locker that's a portal to a multiverse.
Life Lesson: When you're stressing about every little thing and yearning to escape, remember that the grass isn't always greener on the other side (of existence).

Heartstopper
Why we 🩷 it: For that adorable moment when Nick interrupts Charlie's intense locker struggles to ask him to join the rugby team.
Life Lesson: Mundane moments can become epic—so when you're frustrated and struggling, stay positive. An amazing thing may be right around the corner.

@heartstopper

If you're nervous about...Just not knowing what to expect

You can't predict the future, but you can use your sleuthing skills to pick up on clues for the year ahead.

One of Us is Lying
Why we 🩷 it: Five students enter detention—and four of them come out. What follows is drama, secrets, gossip, social stereotypes and classmates saying mean things about each other on the internet.
Life Lesson: One thing is definitely *not* a mystery: Lies and deceit always make things messy. Best to stay far away from all that.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Why we 🩷 it: Pip's investigation into her friend's death for a school project is a dangerous path to an A+, but we're absolutely here for it.
Life Lesson: If you keep pushing, any problem is solvable. Because if Pip can solve a murder as a regular high school student, you can unravel AP Macroeconomics.

@agoodgirlsguidetv

If you're nervous about...Your school being haunted by actual ghosts

POV: when you can't control what weird fears burrow into your brain.

Dead Boy Detectives
Why we 🩷 it: Life (or, er, afterlife) is hard for teen detectives—but getting addicted to this show, which follows two teen boy ghosts who investigate crimes related to anything supernatural, is the easiest.
Life Lesson: You can decide *not* to do the thing that's expected of you.

Julie and the Phantoms
Why we 🩷 it: When Julie accidentally summons the spirits of a group of musicians from the '90s, she rolls with it and forms a band with the ghosts (who are more into crushing it in choir class than haunting the halls).
Life Lesson: The way the Phantoms help Julie cope with her intense grief after losing her mom is a perfect reminder that there can—and will—be moments of joy, even in the middle of life's toughest times.

@julieandthephantoms

Hey, girl! Just wanted to let you know that this story originally ran in our August/September 2024 issue. Want more? Read the print mag for free *today* when you click HERE.

Want more back-to-school content? Check out these articles:
📒Tell us your fave class and we'll find your new school supplies
📒These tips will make getting your summer schoolwork done a breeze
📒How to prepare during your last week before school

Top and slider image: @netflixnordic

by Kayleigh Roberts | 8/19/2024