The beginning of any school year often elicits feelings of excitement, but also sometimes anxiety and fear. While being excited about a clean slate and a new year can be fun for many students it is often a stressful time.
Here's our best words of wisdom for beginning the year in a positive way!
1. Be Positive! There is such a thing as toxic thinking. If you go into a situation with negative thoughts, that is the outcome that will likely happen. Keep a positive attitude and you can tackle anything.
2. Create a study space at home where you will do your work. It is best not to study where you sleep because your body knows that is your sleeping place, not your study place. Find a location that you can concentrate and get work completed.
3. Limit distractions. Texting, facebook, twitter, snapchat, and other social media outlets are fun - but they can also be hugely distracting. Cut down on those and you will utilize your time much more efficiently.
4. Sleep. Sleep cannot be underestimated. If you are not working on a full tank of gas (sleep) then your body will not cooperate and be able to sustain the energy necessary to do well week after week. Make sure to get sleep during the week, not just catch up on sleep on the weekends. Check out this article on sleep deprivation: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/sleep-for-teenagers/?&_r=0
5. Plan ahead. Make your schedule, get a calendar, add dates, commit to making a to do list and sticking to it.
6. Set goals for each semester. Ex: I will turn in all homework. Or, I will review each subject every night for 15 minutes even if I have not been assigned homework. Or, I will work hard to get a higher test average this semester. It can be anything. Set a goal. You can do it. You know your weaknesses. Are you late to class? Do you bring work home? Do you actively take notes during class (this is proven to help, by the way!)? Do you rewrite your notes? Do you study vocabulary? Are you a good group member? What is your area of weakness and tackle it this semester!
7. Get involved. It is so important to connect with the people around you. Find something that you are interested in and join that group. Make friends and contributions to the group. You will find that being part of something bigger than yourself is so rewarding and meaningful.
8. Your teachers are amazing. They are here to help you not only do well academically, but also serve as a positive support system. They, too, have offered up their own words of wisdom for getting off to a good start this year. And, they are right!! Even just tackling one or two new strategies this year - you will find that you can do anything you set your mind to.
Mrs. McMillan - "Take notes in class and refer to the notes as you complete assignments at home. For math students, to see model problems worked out is very helpful as well as referring back to your textbook as a resource. Ask questions in class. Make up all work in a timely manner if you are absent. Come in when you do not understand or have been out of class. Always try your best and never give up!"
Ms. Blount - "Stay balanced - don't overload yourself with too many difficult classes or extracurricular activities. Everything in moderation!"
Mrs. Podber - "Work hard, then play hard!"
Mrs. Boudreaux - "Ask for help when you first need it, not when it's almost too late. Your teachers are here to help! There's no question we haven't heard or issue we haven't seen."
Mrs. Sidell - "For 9th graders - have one folder with holes and pockets dedicated to each class and label them. Most freshman struggle with organizational problems because they feel overwhelmed with paperwork the first month. Have another separate folder just for signature pages for parents."
Coach Crooks - "Spend 5 minutes a night reviewing what you did in class, even if you have no homework. Great for retention."
Ms. Faris - "Make flashcards on quizlet of key terms."
Mr. Mervich - "People who succeed do the basics well. It is not the big things in life that cause people to fail, it is failure to do the little things, the easy things. So, do the easy things regularly and it will lead to success."
Mr. Berry - "Strive for balance. Seek guidance, help, and assistance. We all need help in some way."
Here's a video of what a positive mindset looks like! It's contagious!
