Are you a freshman student worried about managing your coursework amidst the craziness of high school? Well, these seniors can help! Vivian Chen ‘24, Charlotte Henstock ‘24, Matthew Liang ‘24, and Courtney Mar-Lew ‘24 reflect on their SHC experience and the best ways they have found support as students. The Emerald reporters have decided to focus on the importance of finding balance in the “college prep” education that SHC provides.
How can I keep up with homework and assignments to be successful?
Charlotte: The best way to keep up with homework and assignments is by staying organized. I use the Stickies app on my computer or physical sticky notes to keep track of homework and deadlines. One way to motivate yourself to do work is by making lists. I find crossing tasks off of lists after they are complete to be very rewarding. It is also helpful to make a plan for each week to stay on top of homework and studying as well as club meetings. I like to make a weekly schedule to keep track of all my meetings and assignments so that I can reference it throughout the week to remind myself of what’s coming up.
Courtney: In my opinion, one of the best ways to stay up to date with schoolwork is by owning some sort of planner. I use a physical planner that I bought from the dollar store, but other people opt for digital resources like Google Calendar or planner/calendar apps. Whatever you prefer to use, I find it helpful to write daily checklists for all your homework and aim to get everything done the day it is assigned, or at least to start looking over the assignment. That way, if you have any questions, you still have a day to visit your teachers and ask for help before the work is due. Another tip: Whenever you make a checklist, write the due dates next to your assignments to remind yourself when you should finish by!
What’s the best way to communicate with teachers?
Vivian: The best way to communicate with teachers is to go to office hours and meet them in person. If you don’t know when a good time to meet them is, you can always email them. All our teachers are very nice and willing to help students. Email is also a great way to communicate with teachers if you aren’t able to meet them in person. Most teachers will respond as quickly as they can which is also super helpful.
How do you remind yourselves to grab certain materials for class?
Courtney: Adjusting to SHC’s block schedule can be challenging, especially when we only have each class about two to three times a week. To remind myself to bring all the correct materials on certain days, I separate my notebooks, textbooks, and folders into two piles on my desk: one for all my Blue (7,1,2,3) day classes and the other for Green (8,4,5,6) day classes. When I pack my backpack before school, I simply put the whole pile of Blue day or Green day materials into my bag without thinking about which blocks I have to pack for. It’s also helpful to have one notebook or binder per subject to avoid confusion between supplies.
What’s prepared you for college?
Matthew: I think that learning what I am passionate about has helped me prepare for college. When you find out your passion, you can lay down a good foundation and a potential pathway for the rest of your life. In my opinion, I have found something that piques my interest, prompting me to look for opportunities for internships, take college courses, and [participate in] extracurricular activities. However, I understand that figuring out what you want to do in the future is a very arduous process, so I would recommend finding out what you are passionate about – not just what you are good at. What helped me discover what I wanted to do in the future was taking classes on all subjects offered here on things I might be interested in: in my case I took AP Psych, which has guided me towards the medical field in the future.
How do you make the most of your four years here?
Charlotte: The best way to make the most of the four years at SHC is to get involved with everything from clubs to sports and school events. Club meetings are an excellent way to make friends, meet new people, while also learning about subjects that interest you. Attending school events including homecoming and the Bruce Mahoney games are also great ways to experience school spirit and have fun with the rest of the student body. SHC has so much to offer; there are so many classes to take and clubs to experience, but following your interests is the most straightforward way to meet people with similar interests and learn about subjects that inspire you.Though it’s tempting take the same classes and participate in the same activities as your friends, trying new things and getting outside your comfort zone is a great way to make your SHC experience fun for you. Try to make the most out of high school while it lasts!
