Junior and senior years can be daunting with completing college applications in the US, personal statements in the UK, recommendation letters, etc. But it is important to survive these years smoothly and happily without burning out. In September 2020, many younger students reached out to me with the question, “How do I survive senior year?” I wrote to them that I was already aware that year 12 is a big step ahead from year 11. So I highly suggest you think about it as a way to higher success that requires lots of hard work and effort. In order to get the most out of grade 12, it’s very very important to be organized and have time management skills. I’m not saying you need to be multitasking; rather, you should find a way to balance out those 24 hours a day with both academics and extracurriculars.
Extracurriculars are so important. They become a huge element of resumes for jobs, work experience and internships and of personal statements to get into college. Grab onto opportunities that you feel you are capable of doing and have time to commit to. Don’t take on all extracurriculars at one time as doing so will shift the balance away from your school exams. Extracurriculars are very important because they show that you are well-rounded and focused on more than just studies. They bring out other capabilities, such as teamwork, leadership and creativity, and show that you are balanced in everything you accomplish. I would highly suggest having at least one to three extracurriculars to show you are focused on things you love but you don’t overexert yourself.
Be organized: I love using Trello to track meetings and ideas or a simple book and pen for my to-do lists for the day. Allow time for personal leisures: If you ever feel tired, take a break, close your eyes and relax. Study beforehand: Create a useful study timetable and make sure to follow it. When I say “useful,”I mean it should be one you are able to follow for at least six months. Lastly, enjoy and value the process of maturing and gaining lots of knowledge before you go on to college or an apprenticeship. Our teacher told us, This is a challenging year but a rewarding experience. I’m looking forward to how year 12 changes my life.
I do understand that the Covid-19 pandemic has added more pressure on staying motivated, but It’s essential to understand that the world is not perfect; hence, ups and downs are always going to be there. I recently attended a mental health event where we were discussing the symptoms of mental health issues, advice for mental health and the importance it has on our day-to-day lives. Here are some of the tips I’d like to share. I understand that tackling mental health issues is subjective, but trying the tips listed below may help relieve some stress and help you stay motivated:
- Create a timetable/to-do list to regulate your days (email me for a personalized template)
- Spend less time on your phone before bedtime.
- Speak to someone you trust (statistically found to help overcome some issues faced)
- Meditate (breathing exercises, yoga, transcendental meditation, etc.)
To give you a short summary of the things you can do to stay motivated:
- Do activities that excite you, whether sports, arts, writing, playing musical instruments, etc.
- Have a motivational goal in mind constantly that pushes you to do things that you didn’t wish to = see the big picture in front of you.
- Spend time with loved ones, whether family members, neighbors, relatives or friends.
- Reach out for help, support and guidance without hesitation = communicate effectively.
- Take small steps, as success doesn’t come within seconds = work in progress.
- Assist in a humanitarian cause, such as by volunteering or fundraising: being involved in an environment and working on projects that benefit the welfare of society will make you feel better.
- Travel to explore the world.
- Listen to inspirational podcasts or music.
Some helpful links:
- Notion: Notion is an application that provides components such as databases, kanban boards, wikis, calendars and reminders. Users can connect these components to create their own systems for knowledge management, note taking, data management and project management. It is suitable for web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android: https://www.notion.so/
- Trello: Trello is a web-based kanban-style list-making application that is a subsidiary of Atlassian, a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into boards. At one glance, Trello tells you what’s being worked on, who’s working on what and where something is in a process: https://trello.com/en
- I highly recommend you read the Forbes article “How to stay motivated and accomplish anything”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2013/07/19/how-to-stay-motivated-and-accomplish-anything/
- NHEG (New Heights Educational Group) offers a variety of educational programs, including Travel with NHEG, tutoring, tracking student growth and fundraising: https://www.newheightseducation.org/nheg-educational-programs/
- NHEG has its own radio show, an Internet radio program and podcast in which the hosts cover various topics of education for home, charter and public school families in Ohio and beyond. The shows cover many aspects of education: the power of education, restructuring schools, the IEP process, tips for teens, zoology, technology, common core, history, science, reading, business, entrepreneurship, special needs, round-table discussions and reading of NHEG’s bi-monthly teen comic book series, which tackles youth issues. The show educates and inspires its audience by sharing and welcoming discussions. You can listen to it here for free: https://radio.newheightseducation.org/
- NHEG also has several opportunities in volunteering. Find out more at: https://www.newheightseducation.org/volunteer-with-nheg/; the volunteer form is at: https://www.newheightseducation.org/volunteer-with-nheg/volunteer-form/