School

Why First Semester is Always the Best Semester

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

I wanted to touch on a topic that I briefly discussed in my last post- I mentioned that the beginning of the school year is always my favorite because there’s so much to look forward to. It’s a new beginning in many ways and you’ll find lots of opportunities ahead! Since starting school and getting back into work can be dreadful in some ways, I wanted to promote some of the positive things about it!

  • Football season/games – I absolutely love football games, and not just because I’m a cheerleader. I cheer for JV so those games are fun because I get to perform. My school is pretty spirited so everyone’s at the varsity games, and my friends and I all walk to local restaurants afterwards. Plus homecoming is part of football season, and that’s so much fun.
  • Joining new activities – With a new year comes the chance to get involved with new things! You can join different clubs, sports, programs, electives, things outside of school, etc. that you never thought of getting involved in before.
  • Meeting new people – If you go to a big school like I do, there’s constantly new people transferring in every year, and you’re never going to know everyone in your grade. Plus, a new year and new schedule means everyone gets mixed around a bit more- you might have classes with a bunch of people you’ve never even seen around before. I definitely realized that this year, and it’s been cool to meet new people.
  • Clean slate (not just grades, everything!) – It’s a fresh start and a completely different year. You can make it whatever you want it to be; there’s new classes, teachers, and people who may not know you. New classes are great because it’s a clean slate with grades and your classes might be more interesting than last year!
  • Going shopping (new clothes/supplies) – One of the best parts of going back to school is having cute new clothes and fresh school supplies. It’s the main time where you feel organized and prepared (unless that’s you all the time, props to you!, so enjoy it.
  • All the “firsts” of the year – The first rally, the first football game, the first party or hangout with friends, the first lunch period in your old spot, the first sports practice of the season, anything. Firsts are exciting- that’s the whole point of this post. They’re filled with promises of excitement to come.
  • School dances (homecoming, winter formal) – These aren’t everyone’s thing, but they’re still big events to look forward to. They’re usually accompanied with spirit weeks which are fun as well. I love seeing everyone get dressed up and it’s the best to just have a big night out with friends.
  • Thanksgiving break and winter break – These are two of the biggest/main breaks during the year; you might go on vacation, you might just hang out with friends. Whatever you spend the time doing, these are definitely times to look forward to as breaks in your busy schedule!
  • The holidays in general – I absolutely love the wintertime and the holiday season. The festiveness everywhere you go, ice skating with friends, and all the holiday parties- it’s just such a fun time. I always look forward to it, and before you know it, it’s over again. It really does creep up on you, but it’s truly the best.

I hope this gave you guys a more positive look into what a new school year entails. Now you have a little list of things to look forward to, plus anything else extra that’s specific to your school/life! I’m always here to answer questions or take requests for future content. Keep an eye out for new posts coming soon!

-Brooke

First Impressions of the School Year – Sophomore Year

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everybody!

Today I am going to be talking about the recent return to school; I am a sophomore in high school (it feels so weird to say that after writing “rising sophomore” in all my summer posts) and my local district went back on August 21st. I’ve been pre-writing and scheduling my posts for a little bit, so I’m actually writing this on August 25th, the Sunday after my first week of school. It’s so weird to be back in class and have my calendar completely filled, but I wanted to discuss my thoughts on how everything has actually been so far.

First, I’ll discuss probably the biggest part of school: the classes. I’m taking AP European History, honors English, honors algebra 2, honors chemistry, Spanish 3, and yearbook (which counts as both an elective and an extracurricular). I have Spanish first, followed by English, chemistry, euro, yearbook, lunch, and I finish off the day with math. Last year it was flipped where I had English and my science class toward the end, and my social studies and math classes toward the beginning, but I’ve always had Spanish first. I have to say I prefer the order of my classes last year, but it doesn’t make that much of a difference.

As far as teachers, I have the same Spanish teacher as last year; other than that, I have five new teachers to win over! My teachers are all pretty nice but I definitely got ones on the stricter side- we didn’t do any fun beginning-of-the-year activities, and I’ve already had a decent amount of homework. I miss my teachers from last year just because they were so fun, but I guess that just came with being a freshman. Sophomore year already seems way more serious.

I have cheer practice Monday through Wednesday after school, so I stay on campus for a few extra hours because of that. JV football games are either late on Thursdays or early on Fridays, so I either have Thursday night or Friday night free depending on the week; most games are on Fridays, so I’ll usually have Thursday free. It’s a demanding schedule being at school for so long during the day and then going home and doing homework, but it’s manageable. As soon as we had our first football game and I got that adrenaline rush of performing again, I knew it was worth it.

I also knew I wanted to get more involved in my school and different activities this year. I signed up to be a tutor in my school’s Social Science center at lunch, so we’ve been having some meetings and trainings about that. I’m not sure when club rush is/when clubs start meeting, but I hope to join a club or two that I’m really interested in. I was in Key Club last year, and I plan to continue that as well; I even got ahead on my service hours over the summer. Through cheer, there’s also a special-needs children volunteering program that I’ve signed up for and gone to a couple events for- we teach the kids cheers and routines and perform at a few school/local functions. It technically counts as a club, but I’m not sure if it has regular meetings and such yet. Lastly, as I briefly have mentioned, I’m now a writer on the yearbook staff. We’re starting to get into our first assignments and I’m so excited!

It’s already been tiring so far, but I’m actually really excited for this year. I’m trying out and doing lots of new activities that I think I’ll really enjoy as the year goes on, and there’s so much to look forward to. Football season is SO much fun and homecoming is in the near future! I have a really good feeling about sophomore year; I can’t explain it, I just do. I hope you guys are having an amazing start to school as well! Let me know if you have any questions or requests for future content.

-Brooke

Beginning My College Search

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Now that I’m a sophomore in high school, college looms a bit closer. I know that I still have a lot of time before I actually have to apply, but I’ve always looked forward to going to college and hopefully going to a good one; naturally, I want to be prepared in advance. I wanted to give you guys some background on what I’ve done to think about college so far, and what I plan to do the rest of this year to continue preparing.

  • Signed up for college newsletters/email lists, etc. – I wanted to receive specific information from a variety of schools; when many different types of colleges are sending you brochures and emails, you can start to compare the differences and see what you like about all of them. Plus, if you already have schools in mind, this may be considered a part of demonstrated interest, which can be considered as part of the application process for some schools.
  • Consulted with both my high school counselor and a private college counselor – It’s important to utilize the resources available to you; you totally don’t need a private counselor, but at least talk to your school counselor about possible plans for the future. It’s their job to talk about this stuff, so they should have some sort of pointers. Get to know these types of people; the better they know you, the more they can tailor their advice to your needs and wants
  • Talked to people who have already been through this process (family friends, friends’ siblings, cousins, etc.) – Sometimes you need the perspective of someone who was literally just in this situation. Talk to people a couple years older than you; ask them how they went about the college process, how they chose their school, and of course how they’re doing now! Again, if you have specific schools in mind already, try and find some people who attend that college already.
  • Attend college events (college fairs, school visits, special events)– I haven’t attended any of these yet, but I hope to go to a few this year if they fit into my schedule. These are more of a priority if you’re a junior or senior since you can make connections with the representatives and get more specific information about schools, but it’s still good to start going as an underclassman if you can.
  • Visit local colleges – I wouldn’t start visiting colleges in other states/farther away if you’re just beginning to look at all the options out there; there’s just too broad a spectrum. If you have specific schools in mind definitely make the trek to go visit, but otherwise I would just go walk around whatever colleges are closest to you. I’m luckily to live in southern California so I’m pretty close to USC, UCLA, UCSB, kind of UCSD, plus more, but it doesn’t even have to be a prestigious school that you visit first; just getting a feel for campus life is the important part.
  • Keep track of potential interest and make a spreadsheet – It doesn’t have to be too serious; just make a list of any colleges that interest you, whether it’s because of their location, majors/programs, sports, etc., it doesn’t matter. It can be a huge list, because it’s sure to shrink down as you go through the rest of high school. Mine’s about 70 schools, but I’m only a sophomore and I know that probably less than 10 of those schools (or even none of the specific ones I found!) would be good fits in the end. I’m also pretty indecisive, so when making lists like that I’ll kinda throw everything on.

I hope this gave you guys an idea of some of the first steps you can take to start thinking about college. Maybe it will inspire you to do some research of your own! Either way, if you’re a sophomore like me, there’s plenty of time to figure things out; I definitely need to work on staying in the present and not stressing about the future so much. I’m always here to answer questions or take requests for future posts- keep an eye out for new content coming soon!

-Brooke

The Significance of Education

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to discuss a topic that’s been on my mind as we begin this new school year. Our education here in the USA may have its faults, but I am so grateful to be able to learn the things that I do in school and get the experience of going to a wonderful public school and getting involved in activities through the programs it offers. I figured I could explain how big of a part school has always been in my life and why we should all value the educational opportunities offered to us.

One of the main reasons the academic aspect of school has always been so important to me is because until I started high school, I really didn’t have any extracurricular activities. When I was younger I dabbled in many sports, art, even cooking classes, etc., but nothing ever stuck. I didn’t want to continue doing anything I didn’t like, so I didn’t continue with any of the activities I attempted. The main things I did in my free time were read, write, and spend time online reading articles or watching videos. My whole life when I was little was basically going to school and then hanging out with friends and family.

I absolutely LOVE reading, but I used to do it way more often. I learned to read before I was three, and I would devour books- my personal collection spanned half of an entire wall full of shelves when I was younger; now it’s reduced to three small shelves in my room. I ran out of time and became more interested in spending time with friends once I entered middle school, but my love of reading definitely shaped my perspective on a lot of things as a young child. However, I was able to continue connecting with literature inside of school, as middle school was when we started really jumping into reading full books in English class. Now reading different books in English class is probably my favorite thing out of anything we do in high school classes, since we actually read really good books and some of the classics.

I always placed a lot of importance on my grades, since they were my only way to show some form of achievement; I still wasn’t in activities and I cared a lot about school, so I felt a lot of pressure to excel. Looking back there was no reason to stress so much over middle school classes, but I’m glad that I at least set good habits for myself before going to high school. I always performed well fairly naturally on state-testing and whatever else in early elementary school, but in fifth grade I had to start studying and putting genuine effort into what I did. In middle school I was definitely a bit of a try-hard (again, only with actual academics, not activities); I didn’t choose to try testing into skipping two years of math, but I tested into skipping one year. I took all the honors classes that were available in middle school, and I worked hard to do well in them.

I got my first B on a report card in seventh grade honors English- I was devastated, but not surprised since I didn’t like my teacher and she was known for being a difficult grader. This was a huge blow to my self-esteem- yes, I knew that it didn’t matter that much, and I knew that I couldn’t expect perfection from myself all the time, but I still was very disappointed. If I wasn’t involved in anything outside of school and had all the time in the world to study and such, why couldn’t I have done something more to improve that grade? The next grading period I also got a B in that class, but by the end of the year I worked up to an A; that was one of the best feelings to know that my hard work had paid off.

I complain about the stress of school a lot, but I put pretty much all of it onto myself. School has clearly always been my top priority in life, and I’ve always been driven to work hard while I’m there. When it comes down to it, I think I like the feeling of being challenged and working hard to see the results of (hopefully) good grades. I also enjoy learning a lot; I find something that’s interesting to me about almost every class and subject (looking at you, ninth grade honors biology), and I continue to see concepts from school in everyday life as I grow older. This is the reason I value education so much: because I love to learn, I love to know that I’m growing as a person, and I actually like working hard.

It’s important that we appreciate school and all the teachers/mentors in our lives; you all may have different stories about what education means to you, but the bottom line is that there’s some significance there for everyone. Whether it’s about the activities, academics, the friends you meet there, or just the overall experience, there’s something to appreciate no matter what your interests are. We should all spend some time reflecting on what our school experiences have done for us as far as personal growth in our lives so far; it’s a great thing to consider as we enter this new school year and prepare ourselves to grow more!

I hope this gave you guys some more insight on my relationship with school and academics, as well as helping some of you reflect on your personal experiences with education. Something tells me this school year is going to be amazing- let’s all soak up as much knowledge as we can and make the most of everyday. I’m always here to answer questions and take requests for future content- keep an eye out for new posts!

-Brooke

High School FAQ

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

Today I plan to answer a lot of common questions that I hear or get asked about starting high school. I’m currently a sophomore so I’m not exactly an expert in all things high school, but I think I actually have a good perspective since I’m not a freshman now, but I was only a short time ago. My answers are based off of my own personal experiences from last year so they may not be relatable to everyone, but I think for the most part they are fairly universal/general.

  • Are the upperclassmen mean? – I feel like a lot of people are scared about this one because of stereotypical bullies in teen movies, but you probably won’t even see the upperclassmen that much unless you’re ahead in your classes for some reason or are in activities with them. Some of them will be slightly rude/just indifferent, but some will actually be pretty nice! It helps if you have older siblings or older family friends.
  • Will I get lost? – It depends on how big your school is; either way, you won’t get lost beyond help. Make sure you have a map of the school and figure out a general idea of where your classes are beforehand, but even if you wander a little bit you will be fine. If you have a small school, I wouldn’t even worry about it. No matter what school you go to, teachers will be understanding if you’re a little late on the first day and people may even be out in the halls to help you find your way.
  • Are the teachers meaner/harder/etc. ? – This really depends on what types of classes you are taking and what teachers you actually get. There are some WONDERFUL teachers and some less than desirable teachers at almost every school; you just have to cross your fingers and hope you get the good ones. I found that high school teachers were actually a little bit more chill- even if they gave a lot of work, their personalities were a lot more laid-back in the classroom than middle school teachers.
  • Will I be able to handle AP/honors classes and should I take them? – It’s kind of a personal preference; if you want to be challenged and are okay with a heavier workload, I would TOTALLY recommend taking them. It’s great to boost your GPA and it will be helpful for college admission later, but I find that the classes are a lot more interesting and stimulating as well. If you have a lot of activities or school isn’t really your thing, that’s totally fine too- focus on what you like.
  • What if I have problems with my schedule or anything of that sort? – Go see your counselor! They are there to help you and make this transition easier whenever you need something. It’s easier than you think to get a schedule change or fix something like that, and your counselor will usually be able to accomodate most of your needs within just a few minutes of explaining your situation. It’s also nice just to get to know them and drop in so there’s another friendly face on campus- they can help you a lot later on with college.
  • How do I find out about school events? – I would suggest following your school’s social media accounts if they have any, or just keeping up with their website and activities/athletics calendars (whether those are online or posted at school) if they don’t. Flyers will often be posted around school for various events, and if your school does morning announcements they will be broadcasted there. I would definitely recommend attending rallies and sports games (especially football games!) plus any other interesting or traditional events/shows your school puts on.
  • How do I meet new people/make friends with them? – Just make the effort to get out of your comfort zone and talk to them! I would start with the people in your classes since you already have one thing in common- taking the same class. You’ll need a homework help/study buddy eventually, so strike up a conversation with the people who sit near you and exchange numbers. Eventually you’ll probably do some sort of group work/projects and some friendships will stem from there. Also, mutual friends are great to become close with- as your friends meet new people and introduce them to you, be friendly and make an effort to get to know them.
  • Do I need a lot of supplies? – You only need the basics, honestly. Teachers will tell you up-front the first week of school if you need anything extra/out-of-the-ordinary or they prefer you to use something specific for their class, so don’t buy a lot before the first day. Get pens, pencils, paper, folders/notebooks, highlighters, etc. I actually wrote a post about high school school supply essentials, so go check it out if you haven’t already!
  • How do I get involved? – Join whatever you’re interested in! There’s most likely tons of organizations/clubs/programs/electives on campus, so there will be something for everyone. If you don’t know where to start, ask your friends what they’re joining- don’t make your decisions based on this, but it definitely is comforting to have a friend there as well. Try things out and attend a couple events/practices/meetings before committing though; you never know what you will or won’t like.
  • What should I do if I start feeling super stressed and overwhelmed? – It depends what level your feelings are at. If it’s right at the beginning of the year, it might just be the general new school adjustment and it’s best to wait it out a bit. If you’re farther into the year and things are still too crazy, you might want to look at your commitments. Maybe drop a difficult class you don’t enjoy, or quit a club you’re not that dedicated to. If you’re struggling with time-management in general, start using a planner and cutting down on procrastination.

I hope this Q&A type thing answered a lot of your guys’ questions. I know it’s a scary transition from middle school to high school, but I promise it’s not that bad and you’ll be adjusted in no time. I’ve been pre-writing these posts and I actually am writing this one on my second-to-last day of summer, but by now I am in school and most of you guys probably are too! After the next couple posts go up I will probably start posting in-real-time again, and I will let you guys know what my new posting schedule is. I’m always here to answer more questions and take requests for new content- keep an eye out!

-Brooke

How I Study – High School Study Tips

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Now that I am back in school, I’ve had to get back into my study routine. Last year (my freshman year), I learned a lot about effective ways to study; I had always just done basic review of material for big tests in middle school, but in high school I needed to study everything, and there are many quizzes/tests a week. If you guys are trying to figure out what works for you and the best ways to approach studying, keep reading for some tips!

  • Use Quizlet – Quizlet is an absolute lifesaver; since it’s on your phone you can study anywhere, anytime. If you’re taking an AP course or a popular course at your school, there might even be Quizlets already made for your tests. I like using the Learn feature and then testing myself over and over, it’s the best for vocab.
  • Use physical flash cards – The classic way to memorize vocab terms and such, physical flash cards are always great. Writing things out helps you remember, and you and your friends can use them to quiz each other.
  • Look up practice tests/questions online – This is especially helpful for bigger tests or AP tests. I also do this a lot for tests on literature; there’s always tons of multiple choice tests you can take out there to review the material, and they might end up being similar to your actual test.
  • Watch YouTube summary videos/videos related to topics – These are good refreshers that present the information in a new and exciting way. I like John Green’s Crash Course videos for different history concepts (I’m not sure if he does other subjects) but you can search anything and some videos will come up.
  • Read SparkNotes and/or LitCharts – Don’t substitute reading the actual text for these websites, but they can aid in your understanding of more complex books. They also are an easy way to brush up on the plot and characters before a test.
  • Call a friend and quiz each other – Sometimes you just need to talk everything out and go through your notes/other things you’ve written down with someone else. Whether over the phone or in person, quiz your friend and have them quiz you in return- this works best if you have some sort of study guide to go off of.
  • Make your own study guide with questions, formulas, etc. – Study guides are a wonderful tool, and writing out your own can help you remember the information in the process before you even start studying off of it. Put all important dates/formulas/characters (it depends on the class) and other concepts, terms and definitions, all that good stuff!
  • Rewrite the most important parts of your notes – As I’ve stated before, writing things out really helps you remember them. Rewrite your notes neatly but try to make them even more concise, similar to making a study guide.
  • Redo homework problems (mainly math/science) – Working through the trickiest problems from a unit will prepare you for your math or science test. It’s best to do problems from your already-corrected homework because you’ll have the correct answers and work with you.

I hope these tips help you study for all of your tests throughout the year and possibly inspired you to get ahead on your studying right now. Once you settle into a routine and familiarize yourself with the general class material, it will become easier to keep going throughout the rest of the year. You’ll quickly discover what works for you and develop specialized study habits for each of your classes. I am confident you will all study hard and pass your tests with flying colors! Remember, I’m always here to answer questions or take requests for future content ideas.

-Brooke

My Sophomore Year Goals (2019-2020)

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Now that the school year is finally beginning, I wanted to figure out what my goals are for this upcoming year. I’m now a sophomore in high school so things are starting to get more serious as far as planning for college/the future, and I tend to have high expectations for myself in general. That being said, it’s important to have general life and well-being goals as well, so not all of these will be academic.

  1. Get straight As – The basic goal of most students, but still important to me! I was successful in this last year, and I want to keep it going.
  2. Actually learn and get immersed in classes – Grades are important to me, but I want to make sure I’m genuinely engaged in my classes and applying the information to real life. I think as we grow up it’s important we do this; we won’t be in a school environment forever so it’s important to take advantage of our classes and teachers now.
  3. Find something (a class, activity, field) I really enjoy – I’ve been looking for that special something that really stimulates me and that I LOVE to do forever. Now that I’m getting a bit further into high school, I hope that brings me closer to finding it.
  4. Get more involved in extracurriculars (possibly leadership roles or starting my own projects) – This is a priority for me this year since my activities were a bit lackluster in freshman year. Similar to my goal #3, I want to find more activities that I love and enjoy doing, and that I’m good at. I also would like to be a bit more comfortable taking on leadership roles and initiating things when I have my own ideas.
  5. Improve my confidence in all aspects – I want to work on self-love and being confident in my own abilities, just being nicer to myself in general. I’m really hard on myself, especially when it comes to school and achievement, so hopefully being a little kinder and focusing on the positives will give me a confidence boost.
  6. Find a better balance with time management – This year I have a lot more on my plate with different activities, harder classes, and other time commitments. I’m a dedicated planner-user, but I’ll need to really schedule my time well in order to manage everything and still maintain my sanity. I don’t want to be a stress mess, so I want to find a routine that works for me.
  7. Make more time for fun/social things – Going along with time management, I still want to have time to do things with my friends. Last year whenever things got too busy, I easily got overwhelmed and would cut off social activities before anything else. I want to make memories with my friends and enjoy the year, so I want to make a lot of fun plans with them.
  8. Travel more (college tours!!) – I LOVED my Europe trip and although I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere abroad anytime soon, I definitely want to go on more adventures. Mainly, I would like to start touring colleges so I can figure out what type of school I would like to go to and just to see more of the U.S., as I haven’t been to that many states.
  9. Get a better idea of what I want for the future – This goes along with the college tours thing, but I’m a huge overthinker and planner as I’ve stated previously, so I hope this year brings me closer to finding what I like and what I want to do. Planning for college is very important to me, and finding my genuine interests is also something I really want to do.

I hope this list gave you some ideas of goals you may have for this upcoming school year and inspired you to make your own list! This year is definitely going to be a busy one, but I have a good feeling about it and I think there are a lot of good experiences coming our way. Let me know if you have any requests or questions as always, and stay tuned for more content.

-Brooke

My Experience Taking An Online AP Class: Final Update

BrookeLeave a comment

Good morning everyone!

The day that I am writing this post (August 12th) is the day that I officially finished my online AP Psychology course! Now that I have completed the entire class, I wanted to give one last update on my experience doing so (I’ve posted about this topic twice already, go check out those posts if you haven’t already). If you haven’t read my other posts on this subject matter, here’s the situation: I took AP Psychology this summer completely online through BYU’s Independent Study program, and the only time I ever had to complete an assignment in person was when I took each semester’s final. I successfully finished both semesters with solid As, and I found the coursework pretty straightforward. AP Psych is known for being one of the easier APs, and it probably made it even easier since I was taking it in this format.

I took my Semester 2 final exam today and it was the exact same format as the first semester’s- 100 multiple choice questions, taken online with a proctor in-person. I found a Quizlet online that helped me prepare for it, so it actually didn’t take that long for me to finish the test. One of the most important things to consider when choosing an online class to take is making sure it’s with a well-known and accredited provider; this is important not just for making sure you get actual high school credit for taking it, but also because there will be more online resources/study materials available. Since it was an online exam, I could immediately check my email in the car and see what I got- I got a 92%, which I was pleased with.

The final exam was the only part of the course where you actually had to study and work hard for the grade; the essay assignments were pretty straight-forward since they were recycled AP test questions, review session attendance was a part of your grade, and the only other graded things were open book unit quizzes. The online portal that the class was on (Buzz) was easy to navigate so I easily breezed through all the lessons and could complete the assignments within short periods of time as well. I think Psych is a good course to take online because you’ll already have some form of background knowledge on some of the subject matters and the concepts aren’t as complex as other sciences.

If you have the drive and self-motivation plus the extra time on hand, I think you could take any class online that you wanted (AP or not!). It’s a great way to get ahead on credits and dive into a new subject matter that you may not have time to put in your standard school-year schedule. BYUIS’s flexibility was what sealed the deal for me; I would highly recommend using them if they have the class that fits your needs- they were also more affordable than some of the other online providers I looked at such as Apex and FLVS. I would like to take advantage of these programs again in the future; I may have to take another course or two online at some point during my high school career if I want to have room for more electives.

Overall, I would say my experience taking an online class went very smoothly and was a pretty stress-free experience! This was definitely due to the specific course I chose to take and that it wasn’t a necesssary requirement (if for some reason I hadn’t done well in it, it wouldn’t have really mattered) for my actual school. I would recommend taking classes online if it fits your needs and can benefit you in a similar way; the only catch to taking an AP online is that you’ll need to pretty much self-study for the test in May. I’m a little worried about that for Psych, but I know it’s one of the most common tests for people to self-study without previous knowledge, so hopefully I’ll be fine/better prepared since I’ve at least taken the class online.

I hope sharing my experience helped you guys out and possibly inspired you to take a course online, AP or not. I’ll revisit this topic and how the online course prepared me for the AP test once I take it in May. This post was shorter than the other two I wrote regarding this class since not much had changed since the last post about it, so go check those out if you want more detailed information. Let me know if you have any questions about AP Psych or the process of taking it online, in addition to any requests you may have for future posts. I’m always writing new content for you guys, so keep an eye out!

-Brooke

How to Balance School with Sports/Other Activities and Everything Else

BrookeLeave a comment

Good morning everyone!

Today I will be discussing time management, a highly important concept for all of us. During the school year there can be a ton on your plate- homework in all your classes, sports, clubs, other extracurriculars, chores and family responsibilities, possibly a job- the list goes on. It may seem daunting to go into the year knowing how busy your schedule is about to become, but don’t fret! There is definitely a way to balance it all, as long as you carefully plan your time and are aware of all your commitments. I will be giving you some of my tips for time management and creating a healthy balance between everything, but it’s something I need to continue working on as well.

  • Use a planner or calendar and write ALL important dates/times/events down– Planning and understanding what you are dedicating your time to is so important. When you have upwards of five classes plus extracurriculars, it’s easy for little things to slip your mind; however, they won’t if you write everything down as you find out about it! I always jot down my homework before I leave a class and on Sunday nights I fill in all my extracurricular commitments for the upcoming week.
  • Evaluate how much you’re taking on; there IS such a thing as doing too much – Mental health always comes first, and you shouldn’t spread yourself too thin. Understand when everything becomes too much you need to step back and possibly drop a few things. It’s okay to start the year off having maybe a little bit more than you can handle, but please make those adjustments and quit the things least important to you if it becomes too overwhelming.
  • Only participate in activities you genuinely enjoy – This will make it much easier to manage your time because if you actually want to do something, it won’t feel like a chore. You’ll have the most fun doing things you’re passionate about, and you’ll probably be better at those things as well. Find activities that match your interests and if there’s not a club/group that caters to it, try starting your own!
  • Get as much of your homework done during school hours as possible – Whenever you can, try and get ahead on your work before you actually get home. This can be finishing your homework during any extra time at the end of class, working on homework before school starts or after school when you’re waiting to get picked up, on bus rides to sports away games, whatever. Remember to keep a balance with this too; don’t skip out on every lunch break to go do homework in the library, but try your best to get what you can done inbetween actual classwork.
  • Make sure to go to bed as early as you can and get a good amount of sleep – Sleep is essential for your brain to actually function well and for you to perform in school. Staying up late into the night to study will only harm yourself (and your grades) more. Obviously get all your homework that is definitively due the next day done before bed, but go to sleep at a reasonable hour; if anything, get up a bit earlier to study.
  • Accept that there might be schedule conflicts – If you have a lot of different extracurricular commitments, eventually something’s going to clash. You might have to miss a couple club events because of a band concert or a sports game, and that’s just how it is. If it gets to be too much, either drop some activities or expect to be speaking to your coaches/advisers a lot about scheduling.
  • Maintain strong relationships with teachers and advisers – This goes along with my last point, but if you have good relationships with the adults in your life, they will cut you way more slack when it comes to having to miss class/events. If they know more about you and understand your other involvements, they’ll be more lenient about your scheduling. It’s also just nice to network and get to know these people in general- I’m sure they’re pretty cool.
  • Know your priorities – When it comes down to it, at some point you may have to give a few activities up. You should know what’s most important to you and what activities are the most fun in case that time comes and you need to decide on what to drop. It’s often better to be more committed/involved in a few activities than just a member of lots of activities; that’s what college admissions seem to be telling us, anyways. No matter what, just have fun with your extracurriculars and engage in your classes- time is fleeting and it’s best if you soak it all in.

I hope this little guide on time management helped you out! It’s very important to know how to balance your responsibilities in order to be a successful high school student; we’re all just trying our best. You also have to keep in mind that the habits you set now will most likely carry over to college and the rest of your life, so it’s awesome if you are already a time-management superstar. I’m definitely working on this myself as I tend to get overwhelmed and stressed easily- this year I definitely have a lot more going on than I did my freshman year. Let me know if you have questions or requests as always, and stay on the lookout for more exciting content.

-Brooke

5 Reasons To Get Excited for School Starting

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

School keeps inching closer and closer and may have even started for some of you, so I wanted to write something that would showcase the bright side of summertime coming to an end. Even though you may not be thrilled to return to long days of classes and homework, there’s a lot to look forward to at the beginning of a new school year. I have five major reasons to get yourself excited for school that I’m going to share with you today- if you’re interested in finding out, keep reading!

  1. School events (rallies, football games) – I know these events aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I feel like when it’s the very beginning of the year almost everyone is willing to go and get involved. Football season is SO fun with all the theme days and meeting up with your friends at the games and walking places to get food after; those were some of my favorite memories from last year.
  2. Seeing your friends and catching up with everyone – Even if you hung out with your close friends a lot over summer, I’m sure you all have some of those friends you mainly talked to in classes (but don’t hang out with outside of school) and missed them. Anyone who you didn’t see over summer or anyone who was on vacation and unavailable is now back and you’re all together again!
  3. Activities starting back up (sports, clubs) – Most school activities aren’t very active over summer with the exception of some sports (I know for a fact cheer had practice a lot because I’m a cheerleader, but football, swim, and basketball did as well), so it’s nice to reunite with your teams/clubs and get back into your involvement. The first meetings and games are always exciting, and you might find yourself joining some new activities as well.
  4. Having a fresh start for a new year – This could relate to grades, friends, or anything honestly. A new year brings new people, new opportunities, and a new set of circumstances into your life. You’re probably a lot more grown up than you were during the beginning of last school year, so use your knowledge of last year to make this year the best ever.
  5. Getting new clothes and school supplies – I think we can all agree this is one of the best parts of back-to-school. Picking out first-day outfits and organizing all your crisp new supplies is exciting and actually makes you look forward to going. There’s also tons of fun back-to-school content on YouTube and other social media, which I know I always enjoy watching.

I hope this list gave you guys a more positive perspective on the school year beginning. You only get so many years in high school (or middle school if that’s where you are), so make sure to enjoy them! It’s crazy to me to think that after this year, I only have two more years of high school, two more high school summers, etc. Make the most of everything that comes your way. 🙂 Let me know if you have any requests as always- I’m constantly writing new posts.

-Brooke