Editor’s Note: This May, your favorite problem solvers return with some year-end advice to tide you over through June graduation—and until the return of this column in the fall. X, Y, and Z wish all our departing seniors a fond farewell, and welcome MCSM’s incoming freshmen to the great student community that makes Manhattan Center such a memorable place to learn and grow.
Q: Do you have any quick studying tips for when I’m short of time?
X Replies: Studying. That’s probably the last thing we want to do once we arrive home from an exhausting day of school. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could study smarter, the better to get good grades but also to lead a more balanced life? Well here are a few tips that may help you in the long run:
1) Learn your information in different ways. Research has shown that gaining information in various ways can stimulate different parts of the brain. The more areas of the brain that are activated, the more likely it is that you’ll understand and retain the information. Some sources you can use include: textbook, class notes, Khan Academy videos, and practice problems.
2) Study multiple subjects each day, rather than focusing on just one or two subjects. If finals are around the corner, you should prepare for each subject everyday. You are less likely to confuse similar information if you study for each subject day by day. Find study time for each subject
3) Do not multitask. Effective students focus on just one thing. So don’t decide to study while you are watching TV, replying to text messages, or playing video games. To improve your concentration, you can: turn off your phone notifications, put your phone away, and clear your study area.
4) Take notes by hand, instead of using your laptop. Students who take notes by hand tend to process and reframe the information. Those who take notes on their laptops tend to write down what the teacher says word-for-word, without first processing the information.
I hope these tips come in handy!
Q: How do I start an after-school club?
Y Says: Starting a club in Manhattan Center is actually fairly simple.
● First and foremost, you’ll need an idea since all, if not most, clubs have one specific topic that they focus on for their meetings. For example, the Glee Club in our school focuses on music. As such, you should come up with an idea for a club about something that you are passionate about and think that other students will be interested in.
● Second, you should form a group of at least three other students who want to start this club, too. That way, you’ll have multiple people who can be on the board, helping you arrange meetings and such and you’ll have more people to help spread the word about the new club.
● Next, find a teacher who is willing to let you use their room to hold meetings and supervise your club. You cannot have a club without an advisor, so you must make sure that this teacher is willing to work with you every week (or bi-weekly, depending on how often you plan to hold your meetings.
● After the basics of your club have been determined, you will have to run your idea by the Assistant Principal Ms. Winchester. She will ask you to make a little presentation about your club in which you state what the club is and what you intend to do with it.
● If your idea gets approved, then congratulations! Now you have to work on getting the word out about your new club which can be done in various ways, including through fliers, social media, or even by word of mouth. Remember: you cannot hang your fliers around the school unless they are approved by Ms. Winchester first.
Keep in mind that running a club is not easy, it takes a lot of time and dedication to organize and hold meetings every week, so if this is something that you would like to do, make sure you know for sure that you have the enthusiasm and drive to do it. Aside from that, good luck!
Q: Does our school have a free clinic? What can I get there?
Z Responds: The school does indeed have a free clinic! We are partnered with Mount Sinai Hospital and the clinic is run by nurses from the hospital. It provides a variety of services, including check-ups where you can have your annual physical completed. In addition, the clinic offers services such as birth control (don’t worry, everything there is confidential and stays between just you and the clinic) and other forms of safe sex, such as condoms. Alternatively, the clinic is available for you to just pop in and pick up a few alcohol pads, Band-Aids, or ice packs for a minor injury.
The clinic at our school is very helpful and I would encourage that you take advantage of it when needed!
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