Advice Corner

It's been a month since school started, and as you have probably witnessed, test dates are drawing near. As a senior, I have been dealing with the buildup of exams for quite a few years. Here is my advice on how to succeed:

Number 1: Sleep well. Sleep is very important for you. Statistics have shown that high school students should be getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night. From personal experience, I, and science, can say that sleep strengthens your memory, making it easier to study for tests and maintain your energy throughout the day. Senior Tamir Cohen can also attest to this. As he says, “I can really feel a difference in my mood, energy, productivity and alertness when I am well rested. My studying is amplified when I get enough sleep throughout the week.”

Number 2: Discipline. Through my three years of high school so far, I have learned that disciplining and encouraging myself to complete assignments when they are assigned, rather than when they are due, is the key to a peaceful and successful year. Studying for a test a week in advance rather than the night before makes a huge difference in high school. It is always best to get your work done and out of the way so that you do not have to cram for it at the last minute. Spacing out your assignments will also make the amount of homework you are completing feel less intense.

Number 3: Positivity. Whether you feel that amazing or defeated, you should always try to keep a positive mindset. If you didn’t do as well as you hoped on a test, don’t beat yourself up about it- that will only set you back. Instead, use your not so great experiences as fuel to do better next time. If you treat setbacks as learning experiences, you will certainly feel better about yourself.

And, as always, know that you are not alone. If you ever need assistance balancing a busy school schedule, you can always get help from a peer tutor, teacher, dean or school counselor! I wish the best of luck to everyone this year!