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Wednesday, May 3, 2017

School, AP Classes, and College Prep



Junior year has left me overwhelmed and tired. However, I love what it has taught me about my ability to hold myself accountable and push my self. I have come up with a few things that have helped me get threw this year.

Asking Questions: Slowly I have discovered that if I am confused or lost in a subject, I need to meet with the teacher. This could mean that during notes I raise my hand and ask questions. It could also mean that I need to go in before or after school. My math teacher has really pushed this idea through out the year and I have definitely seen a lot of improvement. 

Set Aside Time: I am very busy and rarely have spare time. I try to set about an hour and a half for homework each night. There are nights when I definitely need more time, on those days I usually will try my hardest to work it into my schedule. If I don't set aside enough time each day I won't be able to get all my work done.

Know Your Limits: I know that if I set 4 hours aside to study, I will not be able to. A big part of what I have grasped this year is to let myself be happy. That means that sometimes I won't go to a basketball game or hang out with friends because I know adding that will not make me feel better.

Use a Planner: My planner holds everything. It contains my work schedule, my homework, volunteer hours, and other activities. I have mine color coded by class and activities and from that I can just flip it open and know everything about that day, week, or month. For junior year it holds everything that you may need.

Talk to Your Teachers: Teachers are the best and the worst. We all have a teacher that we don't get along with, but that doesn't mean you don't want to create a relationship with them. Teacher's have the power to write recommendation letters, tell you your skills, and help you narrow down colleges. They also have helped so many other students who are in your same position and classes decide on what routes to take. I am not saying that you should become best friends with your teachers, but at least create a healthy relationship with them.

Get Involved in What You Like: I hate when people say get involved that list off 10 things you could never see yourself doing. What I have seen this year is that your friends don't always like the things you do and use that freedom to join other things. I hate sports and if anyone ever tells me to try out for a team I almost laugh because I have no interest in that. However, I do love where I volunteer and I truly have a passion for that. Also, I am involved in a freshman- upperclassman buddy group that helps freshman or new students learn how to navigate out high school.

Take Time for Yourself: Each night I have to go to bed at 10 because I know if I don't I will be a mess. This idea is super important to me because everyday I get super stressed and worked up about a lot of thins. However, in the end I have to know that every day is a new day. Each night I try to end the day by watching an episode or two of my favorite show with my mom and my dog. I also make sure I shower and complete my skin care routine so I can relax before I end the day.

College Lists: Weirdly enough, exactly a year from today (May 1st) I will know where I will be going to college! Right now it is important that I am researching colleges and writing down ones I am interested on some sort of list. From these lists I can do more research and then by next fall I (hopefully) will know exactly where I want to apply.

I hope this helped to anyone that is in the same boat as I or are going to be experiencing it soon. I wish you the best of luck!