Hey guys!
Sorry I haven't written in so long...life has been crazy hectic lately. I've had a lot of ups and downs over the past few months, and definitely learned a lot! One exciting thing-I've started attending Francis Tuttle's Bioscience and Medicine Academy! While this is soooo much fun and definitely something I will keep in my life, school gets stressful a lot, especially with juggling homework, assignments, and other responsibilities. Now that I've done a full semester, I am, of course, well versed in everything there is to know about school. XD Just kidding, obviously. But I have noticed some definite patterns and trends to when I get good grades, and when my grades leave some (okay, a lot of) room for improvement. I'm going to share some of these findings with you guys, feel free to apply them to all areas of life, not just school.
1. Distractions
Lets start with the most obvious one, shall we? Eliminating distractions is such a crucial part of being successful and stress free in school. If you can master time management, you can be the head of your class, even if you're not necessarily the smartest. You need to know what assignments you have to get done, and know which ones to do first. Don't don't DON'T procrastinate...it will kill you. For me, I put my phone in my room, and then don't pick it up for an hour. After an hour of working, I'll let myself have a 5 minute break to check my messages and feeds, and then put it away for another hour.
Also, music is a distraction too. I'm actually doing a research project at Francis Tuttle about the effects that music has on learning and retaining information, and when I have those results, I'll let y'all know. But listening to music with lyrics, or with a powerful melody line is distracting, and forces the brain to multitask. If you're someone like me who HAS to listen to music to study, I recommend Alpha Brainwaves on Spotify. They have some great study music that really aids focus.
2. Planning
Planning your schoolwork is absolutely crucial, especially in high school where assignments and busywork can pile on faster than you can say "this is too much work." Investing in a simple planner can really save you in the long run. I have a 50 cent pocket planner I carry in my backpack, and whenever I receive an assignment, no matter how seemingly trivial, I jot it down. Then at home, I have a weekly calendar on my wall, and when I get home from school, I sit down with my planner, and chart a place in my week to do my homework. For example if on Monday I get assigned a lab report due Wednesday, A&P notes and a math quiz due Thursday, and a history research paper due Friday, I'll jot all that down in my planner. Then when I get home, I'll go to my calendar and say "I'm going to do my lab report Tuesday night, as well as starting my A&P notes and studying for my research paper. Then I'll finish those and study for my quiz on Wednesday, and write a rough draft of my research paper. I'll take the quiz Wednesday evening, and finish up my notes, so I can turn them in Thursday. Then I'll finish my paper Thursday night, and drop nit off at my teachers house on Friday."
I can't tell you how many times having a planner and a calendar has saved me from completely forgetting assignments, or procrastinating everything until the night before. It is well worth the couple extra minutes, and saves you from that sinking feeling of when you get to class and realize you forgot homework that was due.
3. Personal Time
If you are not homeschooled, or don't have a large family, this section probably won't apply for you. But for me, being both homeschooled and having six siblings, personal time for school is an absolute must. Try to set aside one to two days a week for a couple hours for personal homework time, preferably away from the home. I'm a night owl, so every Wednesday and Friday, or somewhere in there, I try to spend from about 6:30-9 at Starbucks, catching up on school in a stress free and quiet environment. Being away from home is good, since you don't have the distractions of TV, family disputes, and household tasks pulling you away from your studies. This is absolutely not to say that you should spend all your time away from home, focused on your school. But it is important that you have a few distraction-free hours a week to focus on making good grades.
Keeping this time free of distractions is important as well. I usually put my phone on silent, and leave it in my car, that way my parents know where I am, but texts and social media posts aren't distracting me. Also, I'll leave WiFi off, unless I absolutely must have it for a project that's online.
4. The Sabbath
The Fourth Commandment is "keep the Sabbath Day holy." For me, this day is Sunday, and it is a day of rest. Sundays I go to church, immerse myself in my Bible and devotions, and turn off my phone for the day. It's also my day free of homework and studies. This requires some dedication at first; you need to prioritize and work overtime occasionally to make up for Sunday being a free day. But it is well worth it. For my mental health, it has been terrific to wake up on a Sunday and know I'm not going to have to stress about school, work that's due, or finishing assignments.
5. Actually...do your work...
In the age of the Internet and Google, with a world of information right at our fingertips, cheating, or as some people delicately call it "finding the answers for busywork" is incredibly easy. Math calculators, keys to worksheets, etc. can be found in just a few seconds. But trust me, this is not the way to do your homework! Knowing the material is crucial, since when you're being tested and quizzed, you won't have your handy cheat sheet there. This is also why procrastinating will kill you...do your work in a timely manner, and actually DO it. This will be invaluable on your tests and exams.
Well, I think that covers everything I can think of. Please shoot me questions or comments, or let me know if you want a part two to this post! I know high school is busy and stressful, but guys, we got this! I'll pray for you if you pray for me. XD and remember, the craziness has a point.
Peace! -hannah:)