Need Advice? . . . ASK X,Y,Z! (April Edition)

Q: How can I work on motivating myself near the end of the school year?

X responds:  The end of the school year is challenging for any and everyone. Teachers start to pile up the workload, your extra-curricular programs begin to ask for a lot more from you, and you may find yourself without any free time for yourself. This can cause a lack of motivation which is completely understandable. 

     However, it is important that you work to keep yourself motivated. Your second-semester grades are equally as important as your first semester grades ( for colleges, they show a student who is constantly improving which is really important). To keep yourself motivated, think about your end goal. Take a piece of paper and write out all the things you want to accomplish by receiving an education, whether it is making your family proud or  to prove something to people who said you would not be able to make it as far as you have. 

     Post this list of goals beside your bed so that when you wake up, you can constantly remind yourself of the larger purpose you are serving in your life. 

The key to keeping yourself motivated is to remind yourself of why you are stressing yourself in the first place. Once you figure this out, everything else  in your life should fall into place.

Q: How do I handle or balance my academic and social life?

Z replies: Let’s be blunt for a second, high school is hard. I finally admitted that to myself after I was at a frenzy and hectic situation the night before three exams. At a moment of frustration, I simply leaned back against my the cool texture of my bedroom wall. That’s when I realized that all this was hard. This is reality, and I’d be lying if I said my academic and personal life were both at the moment easy-sailing. With that said, how did I come to overcome this? Well, for a moment I simply focused on one thing at a time. When I attempted to review for three exams all at once, I instead focused and listed my level of importance towards each one. That’s something I would recommend doing. Think about what’s more important to you. Which decision will affect you in the long-run? If that doesn’t work, it’s time to seek a therapy-like session from a trusting friend or your counselor. I myself has knocked on my counselor’s door more times I can come during my times of crisis.  You should also attempt to make space for your personal time. Remember, your health is also important. It’s not the end of world if something goes wrong with your academic life. I know it feels like a slap on the face for something unexpecting, however we also have to learn to cope with it. With that said, I hope these small suggestions can help you handle your problem with balancing both academically and socially.

Q:    Is there a “safe” way to tell my parents when I’m in danger of failing a class?

Y responds:    Wow, that’s a tough one!  Nobody likes to fail, but it’s always worse when people you know or love and respect find out that you are not the perfect person you want them to think you are!  Since teachers often write directly to parents if a student is having academic trouble, chances are your parents may have already gotten a warning phone call or text.  Just remember that it takes intelligence and courage to admit when you are wrong or when you make a mistake.  The sooner you admit to yourself  that you have a problem, the faster you can get help in trying to fix it.  If you have super-strict parents, you may want to talk to a guidance counselor  first, since they or a Vice Principal can perhaps help you get tutoring to improve your grade.  You can also ask your teacher about doing extra credit homework and “makeup quizzes.”    You might be able to arrange a face-to-face Parent/Teacher/Student conference after school which could permit you to drop or transfer out of a particularly troublesome class.   Finally, don’t wait too long to seek help from parents and teachers.  They will be more understanding than you probably think.

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