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7 Ways To Keep it Together this Semester

By Margaret Collias

1. Get organized. A new semester means that you can purge your folders of all those first semester assignments and considerably lighten the weight of your backpack. All those old tests and assignments can go in binders or accordion-style folders in your locker or in a bedroom drawer, for when you’ll need them again around finals time. Cleaning out your space makes all of your assignments seem more manageable and resources such as a planner, calendar or organization app can go a long way in keeping you focused.
2. Replenish school supplies. You spent the first week of the school year armed with five different brightly-colored highlighters in teal, jade and zesty orange. Nowadays, you’re using that chewed-up pencil stub you found in the chem hallway. With the second semester just beginning, now is a good time to stock up on the necessities. Buy a dollar-fifty’s worth of black pens and a couple notebooks from Walmart, or maybe visit the School Store in the cafeteria and check out their selection.
3. Build good study habits. Midterms are finally over and we can all take a fresh shot at our bold mission statement of achieving “academic excellence”. No more 3 AM lab reports and fourth-grade level essays turned in with coffee stains. Find a quiet corner of your home or your favorite table at the library and establish a nightly routine of finishing assignments and preparing for tests. Use your frees to go in and talk with your teachers- extra help can be a lifesaver!
4. Get to know your guidance counselors and advisors. Seniors are already well acquainted with the importance of a good counselor-student relationship. These guidance counselors will be guiding you through the college process and writing your recommendations. They also are a great resource if you’re having trouble with a class, teacher, a particular social situation, or you just need an adult in the school to advocate for you.
5. Take care of your health. It’s easy to fall into a cycle of sleep deprivation and poor eating habits, particularly in the winter. With a new year and a new semester, now is as good a time as any to focus on making healthier choices, such as eating more nutrient-rich foods and finding more time to sleep. With our school’s crazily intensive workload, getting enough time to rest can be a challenge, but by working more efficiently and avoiding distractions, you might be able to get to bed an hour or two earlier.
6. Find ways to relax. All that being said, you don’t perform your best in school and life if you crumble into a heap of stress and anxiety three times a day. While the above tips can help keep stress levels down, it’s also important to find that hobby, meditation technique, exercise, club, sports team, prayer circle or support system that keeps you calm when life gets demanding. Maintaining a balance between all of your commitments and taking time to do what makes you happy allows you to apply your best effort to all of your endeavors.
7. Have an optimistic attitude. As high school students, we are on the brink of discovering all the joys life has to offer us and the people we’re supposed to be. So smile! A new semester offers you a new opportunity to find happiness in the everyday joys of living. The future is bright and all the issues we struggle with today will be worked out in the end. Steal a page from Wilton’s own Buoyancy Club, and try to spread a little optimism around our school!

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