Tag Archives: tips and tricks

Reading Slumps & Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

Posted on by
3

I like to call myself an avid reader. I enjoy reading, I read all the time, and I find a lot of joy out of it! I know some people aren’t like that, but I personally really enjoy it. Sometimes, I find myself getting into a dreaded reading slump. 

A reading slump to me is a period of time where I don’t read because I can’t find any book appealing to me, or when I just can’t bring myself to pick up a book. If there are times I don’t have time to read—I don’t call those slumps. Just times where I don’t feel like reading, most likely because I can’t find a book to read. 

I really hate getting into these slumps. I want to read a book, but I just can’t. Recently, I’ve gotten myself out of a long slump—and I got out of it by reading outside my comfort zone. 

Over the course of quarantine, I didn’t read. I mostly read online—short stories, comics, but not a long novel or a published book. It really confused me, because I had a shelf filled with books I have yet to read, but I couldn’t bring myself to sit down and read. I attempted to sit down and try, but I just couldn’t get into the story. The genre of the book was Young Adult fiction—a genre I always found myself reading. Yet, I just couldn’t get into the story. I wondered why. 

It honestly really concerned me. I feared I lost my love for reading, and that I couldn’t find happiness in it anymore. That was until I found myself reading another genre—poetry and prose. 

Most of my life, I’ve found myself staying in one genre—young adult fiction or children’s fiction. It was the genre that made me the happiest, and one of the easiest genres to read. I never really dabbled in historical fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, or poetry. It wasn’t that I didn’t like reading it, it was just that I didn’t feel comfortable reading those genres. I tend to get confused or bored—and once I get confused and bored, I just never finish the book. 

That was until I discovered The Waves by Virginia Woolf. 

I became very intrigued very quickly—the way Woolf wrote her characters and her style in The Waves was confusing, but I found myself enjoying it! It felt like reading poetry, or really flowery prose. It was beautiful, moving, and I found myself getting teary-eyed throughout. I had never read a book like this before, and it surprised me when I found myself absolutely falling in love with it. 

The Waves is what made me start to branch out of young adult fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I still read a lot of young adult fiction—but now, I feel comfortable reading other genres. After The Waves, I decided to read more older books, which meant I had to try harder at understanding the language. I decided to read Russian classics—Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, Chekhov. It felt good to read those. 

I also started to read plays, like Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Coriolanus, Betrayal. When I found myself understanding the messages and getting really into it, I felt really good. Then, I started branching out into fantasy—Ender’s Game, American Gods, and The Gilded Wolves. 

That is what got me out of my reading slump! After The Waves, I ended up reading eleven books in two weeks. Yeah… it really shocked me how one book can get you out of a year long stump! And a book outside of my comfort zone, nonetheless. 

Reading out of your comfort zone can be daunting, but I promise it reaps so many benefits. You are able to talk to more people about the books you read, expose yourself to new themes and new styles of writing, and you never know—you may be able to expand your comfort zone to a wider range of books.

– Claire C.

You CAN Handle that Workload!

Posted on by
1
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Now that most high schools have returned to in-person school everyone is feeling the academic and social pressure. The teachers were not hesitant to give a large workload for all students. I want to share some tips for time management that helps me manage my time while still taking 8 classes. 

My first tip is for those procrastinators out there taking many AP classes, feeling the work pile up faster than imaginable. This first tip is very helpful but may seem crazy to some. Personally, I set screen time on my phone from 5pm to 10pm. I get home from school around 4, I give myself a little mental break but once it hits 5 my phone blocks entertainment. I first thought this idea was going too far, but after several months it has really helped my procrastination. If I want to open instagram or tiktok I get a reminder that I should not be on my phone. This way I have a 5 hour window to sit down at my desk and simply work.

My next tip is to create a google sheet to plan both your homework and reminders for the day. Make a column for each of your classes on the top. On the right put each date and fill in the homework for each class. Whenever you finish an assignment turn the cell block green to show that you completed that task. This is a simple way to keep organized that does not require buying a planner. Also, personally I find motivation to turn all of the blocks green as soon as I can.

My next tip is to know your limit of classes. Some people, especially as they enter their junior and senior years, attempt to take as many AP, IB, and honors classes as possible. But, I would recommend taking the workload you know you can handle while still pushing yourself. This way you are not overexerting yourself to a point where you are not doing well in any classes.

My last tip is to take advantage of given class time and homework times during class! Oftentimes teachers leave 10-15 minutes to work on assignments. Many people tend to spend that time talking to their friends. I say get as much done as possible, your future self will thank you for it. During this time you are often more productive, have the teacher to ask any questions, and can get some of that work done before you even reach home. 

Overall my tip is find the best time management plan for yourself, as it differs from person to person. Once you find that schedule that fits your workload and personality perfectly, you will find dealing with all of the assignments will no longer be as daunting.

-Lilly G.

Ways to Stay Creative

Posted on by
3
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Many of us have probably experienced a creative block, whether it be for writing or art, at some point in our lives. Often, such blocks can be difficult to break out of, and can lead to us abandoning the task altogether. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Here are five tips to stay creative and get rid of artist’s block!

1. Create Distance

When you hit a block in your work, it’s actually a better idea to step away than to continue struggling. Create some distance between yourself and the task- go for a walk, talk to a friend, or even just step away from your desk and eat a snack. For bigger blocks, take a day or two off, and push the thought of the task to the back of your mind. That way, when you come back to it, you will feel rejuvenated and re-inspired.

2. Let Yourself Get Bored

Rather than try to chase down inspiration on the Internet or social media, let inspiration come to you! Put down all your devices and mental stimuli, and feel yourself get bored and start to daydream. Daydreaming, with no support from a stimulus, has been found to boost creativity.

3. Surround Yourself with Blue

It is exactly what it sounds like. Whenever you feel a creative block, try surrounding yourself with blue objects- sit in a blue room, or go outside so you can see the sky. Studies have shown that blue, being linked to peace, calm, and nature, can help us feel more creative and explorative!

4. Get Emotional

Inspiration most often tends to strike us when we are highly emotional. So do something that excites you! Go to a theme park or organize an outing with friends. However, negative emotions can also help stir up creativity- so you can even watch a sad movie or read a sad book!

5. Meditate

Meditation has long been used as a process to calm the mind and help shake loose new ideas from your brain. You should try it! If you feel incapable of sitting still and quiet for ten or fifteen minutes, try it in increments of three minutes. It will relax your mind and really help get your creative juices flowing!

-Vaidehi B.

Writing Tips!

Posted on by
2
Photo by Judit Peter on Pexels.com

Creating things can be difficult.  Frequently, writers develop a lack of motivation or good ideas, known as writer’s block.  When in one of these moods it can feel impossible to begin writing, like your writing is no good, or that you will never finish on account of not finding the perfect synonym for “yesterday”.  

My brain’s most frequent writing issue is that I ramble.  My ideas come so fast, my fingers don’t have time to get them down on paper, and before I know it I’ve forgotten what I was writing and moved on to a completely different topic.  This leaves my writing sporadic, confusing, and without purpose.  

A tip to cope is letting go of your standards when you first start writing and entering a “brainstorming” mindset where your fingers can get down the most important parts of your ideas without having to worry about grammatical errors or better word choices.  This allows you to get more work done and gives you more material to work with during revision later.  You’ll also feel more satisfied with how much you were able to write and express yourself.  

This brainstorming mode can even take the form of a list or other grammatically incorrect forms.  Long run-on sentences branching out your ideas or even sketchy, bulleted outlines of stories all work to combat writer’s block, give you more motivation and satisfaction, and help you become a more confident and efficient writer.  You’ll be surprised how much more you’re able to get done!  Happy writing! 

-Giselle F. 

Ways to Increase Productivity

Posted on by
Reply
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

As the school year continues in earnest, many of us may find ourselves struggling to keep up with workloads and stay productive, especially after online school for the last year and a half. So here are five tips to help you boost your productivity and keep accomplishing great things!

1. Write It Down

No, you will not ‘remember it.’ Write every task you have to do down somewhere, like a calendar or daily list, and check it often so you don’t forget anything!

2. Habits and Patience

Start creating productive daily habits for yourself. This way, you won’t have to consciously think about doing tasks- your brain will go on autopilot and get things done. For example, you could get into the habit of studying for two hours every day after school by setting a timer while studying for at least one month. Stay patient- habits take time to develop, but they’re great tools to keep you productive!

3. Take Care of Yourself

You can only be productive if your body is physically equipped to work. Eat well, hydrate all day, and get the recommended amount of sleep every night. This will do wonders for helping you feel more ready to tackle the day!

4. Inspire Yourself

Be cautious about what you choose to fill your mind with. Take some time off from your phone and hang out with your friends, read a book, or go for a walk. This will help recharge you and inspire you to get work done!

5. Reward Yourself

Don’t be too harsh on yourself! Make sure to give yourself a little reward, or mental pat on the back, after each successful day. This will help you keep your momentum going throughout the year!

-Vaidehi B.

Ways to Avoid Procrastination

Posted on by
3

As the school year ramps up, many of us are still trying to get back into the school ‘zone’- and figure out how to kick bad procrastination habits that may have formed over the last year and a half of quarantine. Below are five ways to avoid procrastinating during the school year!

1. Get Organized

If you don’t have set goals or an idea of what you want to accomplish every day, it’s easy to forget things and procrastinate things until the last minute. Invest in a planner or a calendar to track all your assignments and extracurriculars- it will provide a strong framework to work with.

2. Eliminate Distractions

Procrastination happens mostly when we have easy distractions in front of us. Make sure you have a quiet, set place where you work, and put away your phone and other devices while studying. This will help you get everything you need to do done.

3. Set Goals

Many of us procrastinate when the work ahead of us seems overwhelming. By breaking the work into sizeable chunks and setting a measurable goal for yourself, you can make your work more manageable and eliminate procrastination.

4. Positive Reinforcement

Make sure to keep rewarding yourself for completing your goals or tasks. Even something as simple as “after this assignment, I’ll take a five-minute break” can help reward you and create a positive feedback loop.

5. HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE!

None of the above tips will work unless you hold yourself accountable! It’s easy to find excuses to go on your phone, check texts, or take an extra-long break, but you have to catch yourself before these thoughts take hold. An easy rule to avoid this is- start working or doing your task no more than 5 seconds after the thought pops into your head. Any more than that gives your brain time to come up with excuses.

-Vaidehi B.

Preparing for school?

Posted on by
3
Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Pexels.com

The much dreaded back to school season has finally arrived. Although it is a disappointing time for most, the best way to enter the new school year is to be prepared. By setting yourself up for success before the school year starts, your future self will be thanking you once the workload begins to pile up. 

One tip I would recommend is to get a daily planner before the school year starts. One of the hardest parts of being a student is keeping track of assignments, test days, and extracurriculars all at once. Finding yourself a planner that works before the school year starts will help boost your efficiency and time management. I would recommend looking on amazon to find cheap and durable planners. They have a wide variety of options where you can even choose which month the planner starts and ends on.

Although this tip seems simple it is important. Most students neglect to check if there is ever summer homework and it always comes back to bite them in the butt. So, before school starts make sure to check your high school’s website to ensure you have all the summer work you need to do. This way the first tests on the summer information will not cause your grade to drop as soon as school starts. 

Another tip I would recommend is refreshing up on your previous year’s math concepts. One of the most difficult parts of returning to school with math is carrying over the skills you learned. Unlike other subjects, math tacks on the cumulative information that you have been learning since middle school. Going to Khan Academy or simply watching review videos on YouTube will help tremendously in starting the school year off strong and with a high grade.

For those taking AP classes, another huge tip I would recommend is buying test prep books at the beginning of the school year, along with reading the basics of the class which is available on the college board website. AP classes throw so much information at you all at once. Having a very simple basic understanding of what you are going to learn will help. Also with review books, you can make sure you understand each concept as you learn it by trying the practice questions.

Although these tips are simple and seem quite basic or unnecessary, they will be very beneficial once you begin receiving 2 assignments for each of your 7 classes. These small changes and advancements will put you ahead and will helps you receive that strong starting grade that is crucial in determining how you will success in a class. 

–Lilly G.

Staying Focused During Summer

Posted on by
1

Making sure to stay focused and on task is hard during the school year, but it can be especially hard over the summer. With little to no daily structure to keep us in check, we often fall into the pattern of waking up late, doing little with our days, going to bed late, and repeat. I find myself falling into this routine every summer, then finding it hard to bounce back when the school year starts again. So I’m setting goals for myself this summer and I urge you to do the same. 

One of the big things that I think helps is to make sure that the routine we keep during the school year stays around the same during the summer. Sure, waking up at 4:45 A.M. is unreasonable to ask of anyone, but maybe being awake by 8:30 A.M. is more manageable. By getting up at the same time every day, we are training our bodies to make sure that we have a schedule for the day. The same goes for going to bed. Try to go to bed at 11 P.M. rather than 1:30 A.M. With a solid schedule in place, you might find yourself with more free time than you thought. This then creates not only more time to do any summer school or reading that needs to be done, but also more time for hanging out with friends. 

Also making sure our brains stay engaged is important. Making sure that we are doing little things to stay on top of our learning, such as finding a book or topic that interests us and learning more about it, can help us as we go into the next school year. I have found in years past, and this year with summer starting out, that I am able to ease back into the school year much better with a routine and something to keep my brain focused during this break. So in between sleeping in more than usual and hanging out with friends, make sure to take the time to create your own routine and keep engaged. 

-Danielle B.

Fall Life Hack: Back to Time Management Habits

Posted on by
1

As a high school student, I know how hard it is to stay on top of your work, keep up your grades, and juggle multiple extra curricular activities. Sometimes, it seems like there just isn’t enough time in the day to accomplish everything that needs to get done. Key word: seems. Albeit difficult, time management is possible for everyone, regardless of your number of weighted classes or extracurricular activities. Here are a few tips to get you started on your path to a more organized and relaxed life.

To begin, take some time every Monday to schedule out your week. Know that any major assignments that you have are going to take up a considerable amount of time, and also count on minor assignments adding up to become time consuming tasks. Then, display your schedule in a planner or in another prominent place. I have a few whiteboard stickers on the wall above my desk to help me stay organized, but you can use whatever system works for you.

As your week goes on, try not to procrastinate assignments, big or small. Sometimes, this is impossible. Whenever you can, do homework that isn’t due the next day. Remember that in a world where homework is continuously assigned, you can’t always count on being physically able to do a project in a single night, especially if other teachers assign homework to you on that specific day. Also, remember that all of those small assignments add up! Try not to let them get the best of you.

Finally, reward yourself! Being a student is hard work, and if you study a lot like me, you still deserve to feel like a teenager. Take time after school to unwind, even if this just involves eating a snack or browsing your social media for ten minutes. This seems like it would be counterproductive, but if you let yourself take a break, you will be more productive when you go back to work.

I will admit that my word on this subject is by no means final, these are just a few habits that help me keep myself in check. Procrastinating never leads to less stress, it just compounds the stress you feel at a given time to a later date. With finals edging closer, staying on top of your work becomes even more important! To all of my fellow students, good luck, and I hope that this article helps you feel a little bit more in control of your school life.

-Mirabella S.