Ah, male-a-phobia. Right up there with oral-report-a-phobia and college-admissions-interview-a-phobia. (Sorry, we can't help ourselves.) Your nervousness around guys is quite normal, Ashley. After all, when you want to make a good impression, you can wind up stressing about everything coming out of your mouth, which inhibits you from acting like your wonderful self. Combine that with the fact that guys are often shy themselves — so they don't always do the best job of helping the conversation along when there's an awkward silence — and you have a recipe for a whole lot of "ums" and the clearing of throats.

What to do? Well, it's easier said than done, but try to remember that the person you're talking to isn't analyzing every single thing that comes out of your mouth the way you are. In fact, while you're busy replaying some moment where you mispronounced 50 Cent ("How could I be so stupid?"), the dude you're talking to is most likely thinking, "I can't believe this girl is paying attention to me. Yes! I hope I don't blow it." So, act naturally, the way you do around your friends, and be yourself, which can also mean being goofy, flirty, silly or opinionated. When you're really stuck, ask your crush a question — we all like it when someone pays attention to us and is curious about our opinion, and boys are no exception. Remember, conversations with the opposite sex are supposed to be fun for you, too, so worry less about whether he's enjoying talking to you and more about whether or not you're having a good time.

—Andrea Pyros