by Jill Wachter | Dec 4, 2020 | Advice
I had trouble motivating myself to write this article. Staying motivated or not procationating is a habit that a lot of students struggle with. There are many ways to help motivate and stay on track. I’ve compiled some ideas below.
- Have a schedule – and stick to it. It could be starting the day by making your bed, showering, brushing your teeth, and other daily tasks in order. After school, grab a snack and some water, watch an episode of a show, work on homework, go to practice, have dinner, and then pack your backpack for the next day. Have a consistent routine.
- Have a friend. If you struggle with completing homework, start a virtual study group with a friend or two. Having those people to work with/have on in the background when you’re doing assignments can help keep you accountable. Surround yourself with people who have good grades and study habits. They must have some successful system that’s working out.
- Separate your school work environment and relaxation environment. Although it’s convenient to grab your computer and lay in bed but it doesn’t set you up for success. Sit at a table, spread out your school books, and set your mind to school. It’s easier to complete quality work when you’re in the right mind set.
- Write down a list of tasks you have to complete. Write down when assignments are due, test dates, sport practices/games, a reminder to do laundry, or any event that should be done in a reasonable time frame. Start with the easy stuff to get going and make it easier for yourself to complete the harder stuff.
- Exercise regularly. It’s great for mental health and physically making you feel better.
- Take a break. Go for a walk after an hour of homework, get up and get a drink of water, or pet a dog. Studies show that after a long time the brain’s productiveness decreases.
- A little bit at a time and set yourself up for success. If there’s a big task at hand that isn’t due right away, work on little chunks of it at a time. It sucks having to do all of it at once so breaking it up into doable parts is very helpful.
- Reward yourself for hard work. Once you complete the English project get some Starbucks, after an hour of studying terms for psych take time to scroll through Snap stories or other rewards that are important for you.
- Practice. Trying to self-monitor and not procrastinating takes time and requires practice. You won’t magically just start studying for 2 hours every single day right after school on the first day. It’ll take time to get into a rhythm and sometimes you’ll miss your goal but that doesn’t mean you should quit. Work hard and know that failure is inevitable.
I hope these ideas have helped. If you are struggling with workloads, reach out to your teachers, parents, and peers. If you don’t believe in yourself, find someone who does because the encouragement and mindset can be all the difference in the world.
by Jill Wachter | Apr 30, 2020 | Advice, Opinion & Reviews
Even though it feels like quarantine will never end, there are things to look forward to. Making a list of ideas/activities you can do once the stay-at-home-ban ends can help keep a light at the end of a really dark and boring tunnel.
Here are just a few ideas or happy thoughts to keep in the back of your mind!
- Throwing a dog party and hanging out with other dogs
- Sitting down and eating at a restaurant
- Pouring your own soda from the dispensers at said restaurant
- Walking around a store with friends
- Meeting up with non-family members/getting away from your family
- Traveling and exploring
- Getting your learner’s permit/driver’s license
- Playing competitive sports and games with friends
- Going to the mall
- Going to the beach and swimming
- Watching a movie at the movie theater
- Being able to hang out and post pictures with friends
- Getting better reading materials at Barnes and Noble
- Having a bonfire and eating smores
- Going to Kopps and eating frozen custard by the waterfall
- Visiting your grandparents
- Camping/fishing
- Attending a farmers market
- Watching a live performance
- Working and earning money
- Celebrating birthdays
- Making tik toks with besties
- Attending a wedding/funeral
- Working out at a gym
- Graduating high school
- Going to concerts
- Being outside without having to be 6 ft apart
- Hugging your family
- Partying with the bois
- Going to summer prom
- Building a rocket
- Fighting a mummy
- Climbing up the Eiffel Tower
- Discovering something that doesn’t exist
- Giving a monkey a shower
- (DUN DUN DUN DUN)
- Surfing tidal waves
- Creating nanobots
- Locating Frankenstein’s brain
- (It’s over here!)
- Finding a dodo bird
- Painting a continent
- Or driving your sister insane
- (Phineas!)
- Crossing the tundra
- Building a rollercoaster
- Skiing down a mountain of beans
- Devising a system for remembering everything
- Synchronizing submarines
- Racing chariots
- Taming tiger sharks
- Constructing a portal to Mars
- Building a time machine
- Stretching a rubber tree
- Wailing away on guitars
- This could possibly be the best day ever!
- And the forecast says that tomorrow will likely be a million and six times better
- So make every minute count, jump up, jump in and seize the day,
- And let’s make sure that in every single possible way,
- Today is gonna be a great day!
by Jill Wachter | Mar 19, 2020 | Advice
“Yogurt” asked the Saber Slate for advice on lightening a backpack load. Your backpack shouldn’t weigh more than 10 to 15% of your body weight. Here are some suggestions to lighten the load!
- At the beginning of the year, purchase two multiple-subject notebooks (different colors of course for organization). One is for A day classes and the other for B days. Then only carry that day’s notebook. (Be careful, if you’re seeing a teacher that you don’t normally see that day, make sure you bring your other notebook.) This will lighten the weight of notebooks.
- Switch to a smaller backpack or investing in a high quality one. The more space there is in your backpack, the more room there is to put unnecessary materials such as extra wrappers, papers, books, and water bottles. Additionally, if your backpack has small straps or no padding, it could cause pain on your shoulders.
- Distribute the weight evenly. Make sure your bag has two straps and use both when you carry it.
- Put heavier items closer to your back. This will help control the centrifugal (or center) force of the backpack.
- Clean out your folders weekly. Take out or get rid of papers from previous units and classes that you don’t need to carry with you. You don’t have to throw them away, just don’t store them in your backpack.
- If you have big textbooks, carry them. Only bring your textbooks to school on the days you need it and try and carry them. This can help balance the weight you have to carry.
- Use your locker. Everyone at FHS gets the same locker for the four years at high school. If you don’t know where your locker is or the combination, ask the main office or Student Services. You can also request a locker change if your locker is in an inconvenient spot.
- If all else fails, communicate with your teachers to see if there are digital assignments or online textbooks you can utilize. They are here to help you succeed during your four, very short years of high school.
Hopefully, you can use some of these helpful hacks once we get back to school!
by Jill Wachter | Feb 25, 2020 | Athletics & Activities
Even though winter is cold and driving is bad, skiing is a super fun winter sport. As the harsh winter season is coming to an end, I recommend heading to The Rock Snowpark or another mountain to go skiing or snowboarding. I totally recommend taking lessons or going with a friend who knows how to ski/snowboard.
Ski tips from a totally, completely, legit professional skier on the Franklin Alpine Ski Team.
- Learn the jargon for skiing. There are special weird boots that snap into the skis. The things that connect the ski to the boots are called bindings. You may see people using poles and protective gear (shin and arm guards). You should NEVER wear a helmet.
- There are different types of lifts to get to the top of the hill. You’ll usually see magic carpets or handle tows near the beginner/or smaller hills. You can also see ski lifts in the shape of chairs, these are called chair lifts, by longer hills. You should ALWAYS fall off the tow and NOT get out of the way quickly. Another correct skiing technique is to JUMP OFF the chair lift in the middle of the hill. This is very safe and not at all dangerous.
- There are a variety of hills and each location/mountain is different. Green circles designate beginners or easier runs. Blue squares are a little bit steeper or longer runs. Black diamonds are for very advanced skiers. Double black diamonds are for the most advanced and confident skiers. Make sure you know your level and educate yourself before going down the mountain. Create and execute a run down the mountain that is within your skiing ability. For beginners, I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND going down the steepest and most advanced hill the first time you go skiing.
The snow is melting and you should definitely go skiing or snowboarding this season. If you wanna go or learn, hit me up to set up a time.
Disclaimer – I am not a professional skier. Some of the recommendations are a joke, please wear a helmet.
