Tag Archives: good advice

Enough

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High school is a stressful time. As is middle school. There’s a constant pressure to conform, to be just like everybody else. Pressure to like the books and music everyone else likes, pressure to be popular and “cool.” Pressure to blow hundreds of dollars on new clothes to keep up with a fashion that will be out of style in two weeks. All of this pressure builds up, making it hard to stay true to yourself, hard to even remember who you truly are. But try to break free from that pressure. Try to remember. And know that you are, above all, enough.

You are enough.

More;

a rockstar,

a superhero,

someone truly

one-of-a-kind.

You are unique.

So flaunt it and just

be yourself.

In this

cruel world,

it may be hard

at times

to stay true

to yourself.

But remember.

There is only

one you.

There will only ever be

one you.

Your eyes,

your smile,

your laugh,

who you are

as a person.

None of that

can ever be

replicated.

None of that

can ever be

taken

from you

because that is

uniquely you.

You are

beautiful.

You are

perfect.

You are

enough.

So remember.

Even if your day

is hard,

even if your life

is hard,

you are enough.

And that is enough.

So be yourself.

Because who else

would you want

to be?

This is a free verse poem I wrote for a speech class of mine, but I decided to share it with you. Maybe it’s a little cliche, but it’s something I truly believe in. I based my entire eighth grade commencement speech on this very concept: you are enough and you are beautiful, just the way you are. I, too, sometimes struggle with myself. I often get frustrated and angry and stressed. But reminders like this help me keep my thoughts in line, help me get back on track. Hopefully this little poem was your reminder today.

Tips for Incoming Freshmen

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It’s fall again, and the school year is starting back up again. If you are a freshman as I was last school year, here are some tips for the first year of high school.

1. Use a planner-One of the things that I would recommend doing in the freshman year of high school is using a planner. I found doing this helpful because it helps you to keep track of your homework and activities and tests and it is a great way to keep organized in general.

2. Another thing that I would recommend doing during freshman year is to join sports and clubs. Joining a sport is great for making new friends as well as keeping in shape, and it also looks great on college applications. I would also recommend joining clubs during freshman year, since it can help you to pursue the things you are interested in outside of school as well.

3. During freshman year I would personally suggest looking into some of the more challenging courses if you are interested in them. I would recommend taking math, science, and English courses, and look into AP classes if you are interested in them. I would also suggest looking into the electives that are related to the things that you are interested in.

4. Another skill that I found helpful for the freshman year of high school is making good study habits. For example, try not to only study the night before a test, but try to start studying a while before a test. I also found it helpful to make study guides to review which also makes it easier to study for finals. It can also be helpful to review your notes regularly to make sure you know all of the material.

5. Another thing that is great to do during freshman year is to get involved in the community and start doing community service. This is great for making new friends as you will meet many people as you serve in the community. Getting involved in the community early in high school also looks great on a college application and will help you to stand out as well.

6. Finally, don’t worry too much. High school can be challenging sometimes, but one of the things that can be helpful in in getting through your first year is not stressing out too much and still giving yourself time to relax and unwind. Be patient with yourself and don’t stress out too much about mistakes, and keep on doing the things you enjoy. Good luck and have a great first year!

How To Manage Your Time Better With Apps

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It’s about 10 p.m. the night, and Emily realizes she has a five-page essay due before 12 and starts panicking. She begins fighting with the clock trying to get this assignment done before it causes a dent in her grades, and she regrets not doing her work earlier and thinks about how she could have done this better. This scenario is one of the likely things that a person with bad time management experiences. Most of the time, students with bad time management get low grades at school, so here are some apps that can help you improve your grades with better time management. 

The most important thing to manage your time is reducing your screen time or having a limit on it. Most teenagers spend most of their time doing nothing but scrolling on social media for hours, such as TikTok and Instagram, and they aren’t even aware of it or can’t seem to break away from it. As a teenager who has personally experienced this, sometimes an app limit or screentime limit is useless, especially since most of the time, I just hit the “Ignore Time Limit” on the feature and I get back to scrolling mindlessly on social media. I was aware of this and began testing out a few apps that supposedly claim to help reduce your screen time. After doing lots of testing, I found an app that works for me. This might work for me, but it does not mean it might not work for others. This app is called “One Sec,” and it is on the App Store and Play Store, so anyone can download the app. The app is not fully free, but it allows you to still block apps and reduce your screen time. When you download this app and follow the tutorial, it will help you run a shortcut on a specific app so that when you open that app, it tells you to take a deep breath. I used this on TikTok because I find myself scrolling on it when I should be doing my homework. It has helped me get a better sense of self-control because when I open my phone and see the “It’s time to take a deep breath,” it allows me to step back and think about my work and how I should get it done. It does get annoying, especially if I don’t need the restriction and I have to wait seconds before opening TikTok, but it is useful when it comes to my schoolwork.

Adding on, another way you can manage their time better is by setting up routines. If you set up a routine and do this continuously, it will turn into a great habit, and it’ll come easy to you. Set up a routine for after school that fits your needs and try to stay consistent with it. Once you stay consistent with it, you will be getting your work done productively, and you might finish your work early and have free time to do whatever you want. The app “Routinery” can help you set up routines and stay consistent with them. I use Routinery for my morning routines and after-school routines, and my life has been easier because of it. For the first few days, it was a struggle trying to stay consistent, but once you do it every day with the timer on Routinery, it will come easy, and sooner or later, you won’t even need the app to remind you to do your homework at 4:00 or drink water after waking up. I think this app is great at helping you manage your time better and probably make your life easier too.

4 Tips to Decompress in Daily Life

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As technology has taken a great hold onto society, people have unlimited access to everything at all times. We are constantly being updated on what others are doing, world events, advertisements, and others are always to reach each other. This along with short-form content leads to the issue of constant stimulation that the brain was not equipped to handle, adding unnecessary stress to our lives. Here I will list some things that I have incorporated that have helped me relax and feel better in daily life:

  1. Meditation
  • Meditation reduces stress. It allows for the individual to practice mind and body integration by creating awareness , usually through breathwork. I once thought of it as the act of clearing away thoughts, but I have reformed it into allowing my thoughts to flow while you observe their passing and then letting them slowly dissipate. 
  • There are great resources on guided meditation on YouTube for whatever subject you are interested in. I would recommend Joe Dispenza.
  1. Yoga
  • Yoga is another practice that is included in some cultures. It is similar to meditation as it seeks to create a mind and body connection.
  • It is a low impact exercise that concentrates on building balance, strength, increasing flexibility, and improving respiration. I use it to stretch in the mornings to help me start my day.
  • There are many channels on YouTube that cater to different levels and shorter sessions for when you are in a rush. Somebody I enjoy is Yoga with Adriene and Yoga with Bird.
  1. Reading
  • Reading has been proven to lessen stress and helps your brain form new neural connections. The rhythmic moving of the eyes back and forth and the feeling of the paper against the skin helps integrate mind and body.
  • It can help you discover new hobbies, improve your vocabulary, help with empathy, and allow yourself to take a break from everyday life. I have found it to be a more fulfilling alternative to scrolling on my phone. It is definitely one of my favorite pastimes.
  1. Skincare & Facial Massage
  • Skincare involves taking care of your skin. Facial massaging is exactly what it says, massaging the face. I sometimes will use a gua sha, which is a part of traditional Chinese medicine practice, where I use movements with a tool to drain lymphatic fluid from my body.
  • A simple skincare routine includes a cleanser and a moisturizer with sunscreen during the day. If you want to be a little more complex than you can include extra products, like serums, spot treatments, and exfoliators. If you do use sunscreen during the day, it is recommended to use a double cleanser, using both an oil based and a water based cleanser, to remove it at night. 
  • Facial massaging has allowed me to release tension I store in my face and have made me look less puffy. You do not need to use a gua sha and using your hands works just as well. It helps for there to be a “slip” so the tool glides across the skin; this can be water or skincare products. There are many tutorials on what to do on YouTube and TikTok.

Thank you for reading and I hope you experiment with any of these tips! Remember you deserve to have time for yourself to nurture your mind and spirit. 

Ways to Declutter

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  1. Create a checklist of everything necessary and unnecessary
  2. Create milestones to motivate you
  3. Create deadlines
  4. Stick to a schedule
  5. Start with something easy and simple to clean or get rid of
  6. Start with only decluttering for a few minutes a day and then slowly increase overtime
  7. Clean one room at a time
  8. Declutter one shelf at a time
  9. Sort items by categories of your choice
  10. Donate items (clothes, toys, shoes, books, furniture, etc.) that you don’t need anymore, but can still be used by others
  11. Discard any items that are no longer usable or in bad shape
  12. Have a garage or yard sale to sell off unneeded items
  13. Find help from others (family, friends, etc.)
  14. Follow the Konmari method of only keeping items that bring you joy
  15. Follow the 80-20 rule
  16. Take breaks to prevent you from getting burnt out while cleaning
  17. Recycle items like cardboard, paper, and plastic to clear out space
  18. Find new ways to store items (reordering items to fit more objects, buying additional storage like drawers or bookshelves, etc.)
  19. Label items to always know where they are
  20. Get rid of any duplicates, especially when you only need one of them
  21. Be mindful of impulse buys when shopping or purchasing items

Tips for Incoming Sophomores!

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Hey everyone!

The new school year is coming up in a couple of weeks and if you are an incoming sophomore as I was last year, I have some quick tips for you to make sure you get a good start!

  1. This year I would focus on taking more of the harder classes, and making sure you get a good grade in that class. Whether it’s a humanities, math, or a science course, you need those courses as a sort of pre-req into the classes for junior year. For example, at our high school, people who take AP European history sophomore year is oftentimes more prepared for APUSH junior year because you have the foundation of not only history knowledge, but also how to outline (* which is super important btw!!!).
  2. Also, this is the time of year for you to start getting to know which sort of courses you like? Are you into more of the science classes, math, maybe English? Or perhaps it’s an elective course, like AP Seminar/AP Research/AP Comp Sci, etc. Colleges like to know what you are interested in, so it’s time to dive deep and find which courses suit or interest you!
  3. The SAT requirement is starting back up at a lot of the UC schools and Ivy league schools as well! This means you should start prepping for the SAT early on, preferably starting in sophomore year summer! The information presented in the SAT may look easy at first glance, but they test you on a wide range of knowledge, so be prepared!
  4. It is also time to get the extracurriculars in order as well! If you want to suceed and make your own path through high school, it’s crucial to start building a strong extracurricular profile. Whether you’re passionate about a sport, a club, volunteering, or perhaps something more unique like starting your own initiative, now is the time to dive in. Colleges appreciate commitment, so sticking with an activity and taking on leadership roles can really make your application stand out.
  5. Lastly, don’t forget to also have those moments to destress. High school is tough, but it’s important to find a balance. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating well, and setting aside time to relax and enjoy your high school experience. Especially sleep!!! I know we all pull all-nighters from time to time, but sleep is important for you to function!

Good luck sophomores! Junior year awaits you 🙂

How to Make The Most of the Upcoming School Year

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The school year is steadily approaching as summer dwindles to an end, which means it’s time to prepare and get back into routine. However, going beyond academics and succeeding in all your classes, here are a list of tips to remind yourself of during the school year! While it’s important to focus on school itself, there’s still so much more to school than just studying and getting good grades. Let’s ensure that this school year is truly memorable for you and everyone else around you! Good luck in the upcoming school year!

  1. Have fun with friends
  2. Get to know new people
  3. Go after your passions
  4. Challenge yourself
  5. Go outside of your comfort zone
  6. Explore new interests and electives
  7. Create traditions and memories with your friends
  8. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small
  9. Be kind to others
  10. Set goals to motivate yourself
  11. Be willing to make mistakes and learn form them
  12. Seek help whenever you need it
  13. Learn how to cope with stress and anxiety
  14. Learn more about future career opportunities
  15. Develop time management skills as well as other life skills
  16. Go to school dances and events
  17. Attend a sports game
  18. Join clubs
  19. Make the most out of the school year
  20. Live in the moment

Tips For Getting Through High School As A Freshman

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According to studies, it is reported that 60-70% of students feel nervous or anxious for a new school year. It is normal to feel scared or worried about a new school year since there are new classes, teachers, and maybe a new environment for some, especially if you are going into your freshman year. Here are some tips from a previous freshman to get you through your freshman year of high school and to help ease your worries. 

Making new friends is essential in school, and freshman year has got to be the most important year for a few reasons. Freshman year is when most people start forming their friend groups, so after freshman year, it might be more challenging to try and find your crowd because people have already found their people. However, that is only sometimes the case and you can still be in a friend group after freshman year, but it is best to make new friends during freshman year. Furthermore, if you enter your freshman year of high school with a group of friends, there is a high chance that you will not end your high school with the same group of friends. People change, and it’s a reason why many friend groups that enter high school together don’t last, and this was the case for my friend group. So don’t worry if your friend group is falling apart!

Academics are also as important as making friends in my freshman year of high school! Unlike middle school, in high school, your grades matter, so the way you manage your grades is important. To get a good grade and keep it there, there are a few things you should do, but the most important one is paying attention in class. If you pay attention in class, you will actually learn things and it will make it very easy for you when doing your assignments or tests. Of course, you can have fun during class too, but try to keep it so that you pay attention when you need to pay attention. Another major tip for keeping your grades high is to turn in your work on time! As a student who has procrastinated multiple times before, I learned the hard way that if you postpone your homework or your assignments, it will stress you so much when you have to do it late at night. You do not want to be up at 11 pm in the night rushing an assignment that takes a week to do, but you’re rushing to turn it in at 12 pm because you didn’t do it. However, academics don’t define who you are and you shouldn’t be over-exerting your body and brain if you can not handle the workload. Your well-being is more important.

Getting enough sleep will help you out with so many things in school, especially academics, so getting enough sleep is extremely crucial. If you lack sleep, you can’t focus during class because you are so tired, so your grade might plummet. So, set up a sleep routine that allows you to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

Finally, there are lots of people in high school that are judgemental and they might make your high school experience not as fun. However, if you just stop caring about what people think about you, then it will make your high school life so much easier! Don’t let others ruin your high school experience! 

Hopefully, these will help you make your high school years worthwhile or at least ease your worries about starting high school. Your life as a student is not forever, so make it worthwhile by enjoying your high school years.

“Marie Kondoing” Your Room

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Now, I am going to assume that not everyone knows who Marie Kondo is. Marie Kondo is a Japanese woman who has various TV shows and books about organization. My mother, along with many other moms, has watched one of her shows at one point or another. So when I talk about ¨Marie Kondoing¨ my room, I mean cleaning and organizing my room. Even though, and I will admit, I don’t particularly like cleaning/organizing in my free time, I did when I was super bored one day. The results of my cleaning, I am extremely happy about. So here are the pros of cleaning my room:

  • Less cluttered. It doesn’t feel suffocating to be in my room.
  • More space. There is more space for future items, and just space. The space is so nice to have in a room.
  • Getting rid of stuff. I found so much stuff in my room that I honestly have no idea was there. I found the container of an old marker making machine, a rock, empty paint tubes and a 3D pen. Random stuff. 
  • Finding things that I like. I found a pair of new(ish) shoes from my mother and a coil of LED lights.
  • Decorating. I used the stuff I found to decorate my closet and my desk

AND FINALLY

  • It makes me feel more calm and mature. My room feels lighter and it makes me feel less anxious. It makes me feel more chill.

The method I used to clean my room was the Marie Kondo way, which involves feelings. What you do is hold up each item and ask yourself, ¨Does this bring me joy? Does it have a purpose or a reason?¨ Doing this, I realized how much stuff I had that was useless and brought me no joy whatsoever. 

My now clean room makes me feel ready for the school year and all the stress that comes with it. I really recommend cleaning your room for a less cluttered mind and a more calm mindset. 

Books by Marie Kondo are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.