Time Management For High School Students

It's Sunday. We know what we need to do. You all do too. You probably have school work or other work. Yup. We do. High school is so different from college. We've both managed to make it through high school (a few more months for C!) With pretty decent grades (not to toot our own horns!) But the skill of time management is crucial, and takes practice.

1. Make a daily to do list. This can help about everyone if you're not in the habit of doing so already. Maybe you have a notebook or use your planner. Write it every morning (part of a routine) or every night before bed for the next day. You can always add and check off stuff during the day!

2. Keep a "weekly layout". I do it on my laptop and in a notebook. Use this for things in advance, like to plan your work outs of the week or a babysitting gig. This is best done on Sundays for me, that way I force myself to look through my planner (no excuse for oops, I forgot that Lit Analysis was due THIS Wednesday!) This goes for things you know way in advance, and then add on (in a different color) things that come up.

3. Force yourself to go to bed earlier. Y'all wonder: how can you go to bed early when you have XYZ due tomorrow? Our answer: don't do XYZ at 10:00 the night before its due. Not procrastinating is key, especially when it's a project you know a month in advance. Teachers don't give projects out so far ahead because they need to plan out things, they do it because it takes you that much time to work adequately.

4. Find what your priorities are, in order. School comes first. Probably what your parents say (ours do too.) For example, School Work--> Work Work--> Sports/Extra Curriculars --> TV/Blogging/Anything that is seen as "fun". When we miss blogging, it is because we have other things that are more important. A blog post for Tuesday never comes before a calc test on Tuesday.

5. Space out your studying. How many of us have crammed? All of us. It works, until you realize how much better things are when you spread them out! Try to allow 20 minutes per subject (or so) a night, even if you have "no homework." Reviewing those notes night by night will make chapter tests a lot easier and save you more time than the usual cramming for 2+ hours the night before. 

What did we miss?

xoxo,

A+C

Keep Calm: It's Only a Speech

A speech in front of hundreds of people about a difficult topic. That's the position I found myself in earlier this week. Because of my position in student government, I had to give a speech to open a presentation. Confession: I hate public speaking. I'm not good at it. I've had 2 classes. I dont have it down. Here are some of my survival tips.

1. Do not look at the crowd beforehand. Trust me, I still regret it.

2. Don't write paragraphs. Use an outline. I learned this the second time around, which taught me the big difference between public speaking and public reading. 

3. Don't move your feet, keep them planted. I learned this the hard way when a teacher commented on this freshman year. yikes.

4. Keep your hands glued to the podium. Seriously, I fiddled with my hands in my sweater pockets and I still feel dumb about it.

5. Lastly, be able to laugh at yourself. If you say something wrong, let it go. If some technical difficulty happens, just smile and laugh. It's much less awkward that way.

What are some other tips y'all have? It's an important fact of life that we're always looking to improve!

xoxo,

A+C

New Semester Checklist

Most of us will be starting school again next week or the week after. While we certainly aren't rushing to get back to school, it's important to check off a few things so that we are prepared when we have to get back to the grind.

• Purchase all books. Do you have every book for every class? Now is a good time to check book lists and schedules.
• Make goals for each class. I always do this at the start of each semester. I make my goals attainable. For example: Read psych notes every night. Or, Raise up APUSH grade by one point.  Or, get an A on the presidential analysis. I always write them in my notebook of to do lists.
• Check supplies. Do you have enough paper? Do you have a binder for your new class? It's good to know so you're not taken aback the night before your classes start.
• Organize Syllabi. Organize those Syllabi that you have. It's good to have everything together.
• Schedule significant dates. Do you have a day trip planned? Do you have a dentist appointment? Do you have a presentation? Schedule all of these on your calendars to avoid double scheduling!

Did we miss anything good to do before a semester starts?

xoxo,

A+C

Testing 1,2,3

The SAT, ACT, PSAT. The worst three/four letter combos that exist. The ACT for juniors and seniors is this Saturday. We're both ACT pros. We've each taken it like 4 times. Here are our tips for test day morning.

1. Get enough sleep the night before, but not too much. It's essential you have your normal full amount of sleep that you work best on. But don't make that mistake of going to bed so early that you wake up and are bounding with energy. Also, the earlier you go to bed (than normally for you) the better chance you have of waking up and stressing out at ungodly hours.
2. Don't study the night before. Honestly, you just want to have a clear mind as possible, and trying to remember the distance formulas that Friday night won't help.
3. Relax. The night before, watch a movie, get a pedi, work out. Do something that makes you feel good. Don't go out to crazy the night before!
4.Wake up early enough the morning of that you're awake by the time you reach the testing center. Seriously, it might be five minutes away but you want to be fully awake and present.
5. Eat a good breakfast. Obviously! Make it something you love. Don't get a vent starbucks latte or you will be bouncing off the walls.
6. Remember, it's only a test and it does not determine your success in life!

XOXO,
A+C

Exam Week 101

Exams. Blah. The APs are mostly over, but soon it will be time for you to start studying for typical school exams. We've both been through many semesters of exams, and have found a few helpful tricks along the way.

via

we all feel this way sometimes, don't we?

• Start early. Yes, we know this is hard. Studying early doesn't always work out because you're working on other things. But it's so important to not procrastinate, trust us, we've learned that the hard way.
• Sleep. Yes, we know that pulling all nighters is super common before exams. We also know that we won't really remember cellular respiration we studied at 4AM for an exam at 10AM. There have been many studies shown that prove you need at least some sleep.
• Plan out a schedule. This doesn't have to be down to the minute, but it should be planned out so that you know you have enough time to get it all together.
• Do you get study guides? If so, lucky lucky you. Do them. All by yourself. Yes, collaborating with your bestie might save time, but you're not going to retain things that Janie Smith emailed you the day before the exam. 
• Dress for success. (see post soon!) No, you don't need to wear a suit, but being put together is crucial, you'll feel better about yourself.
• Take time to relax in between subjects. Just 10 minutes. Mediate. Shower. Play with your pet. something to clear your head.
• Morning of, do something that makes you feel good. Does getting a skinny vanilla iced latte make your mornings better? Anything like that or even as simple as using a different soap in the shower. Something to start your day off positively.
• Eat breakfast. No one wants a growling stomach in exams.
• Lastly, and most importantly, let go post exam. It's over. You can't change it. Whatever happens, happens. You just need to know you tried your best.

Keep watching for more tips! Study hard.

Love,

A+C

MYMM: School and Classes

We all know how rude people can be in class. Here are a few helpful tips so you don't find yourself guilty of an etiquette faux-pas in class!

1. Show up on time. This is fairly self explanatory, but nothing is more rude than showing up 15 minutes into a lecture.

2. Don't eat or chew gum. Pretty obvious. It's rude and distracting.

3. If you're going to be in class, pay attention. I've heard so many stories of people watching movies in class or listening to music. It's disrespectful to the professor and other students who are trying to focus.

4. Thank your professor. This little gesture will put a smile on his or her face. It will set you apart from the other students.

5. Be engaged and ask questions. Not only is this polite, it's also to your benefit. You'll remember the things that you asked better than reading your notes.

6. On the contrary, don't talk too much. That can get distracting, and others may have great comments to add in as well!

7. Turn things in neatly. No frills on the sides of papers and nice handwriting show that you care about your work and respect your professor.

What are some other ways that you stay polite in class? Keep minding those manners, lovelies!

Love,

A+C