by Reilly Jaworski | Dec 7, 2020 | Advice, Archive
Whether you’re a virtual student trying to get in the swing of things, or an excluded student figuring out how these two weeks at home can be beneficial, you’re probably in pursuit of a little guidance. Enter: Me, a virtual student who feels rather strongly about the positive attributes associated with this unprecedented form of learning.
Starting out not thrilled with the concept of online learning, picking out its benefits was an unavoidable task, as there’s quite the lineup of pros that seem to outweigh the more talked of cons. Firstly, let’s talk comfort, the overwhelming beauty that goes along with at home learning. Wear those flannel pajamas your grandparents gave you, wake up with just enough time to eat a bowl of cereal before class (if you’re part of the fortunate minority that has the luxury of leaving their camera off during first hour, eat your Cap’n’ Crunch while learning quadratics). Lean into it. You can’t do this at school. While we’re on the subject of food, it’s important to note that lunch will be served from your personal kitchen. Ah, the kitchen. It’s not as cold as the school cafeteria and you can eat whatever you can get your paws on. Go ahead and heat up that pizza you had for dinner last night, not a single soul is deterring you from a warm piece of pie. Can’t you taste the freedom?
On the subject of socialization, I’ll argue passionately that it’s not stifled in virtual school; it’s simply different. Being a relatively introverted person, virtual school was a surprisingly pressuring platform that all but forced me to interact with people whom I’ve always known but never conversed with. Consequently, I will boldly proclaim that I’ve made more new friends in the midst of online learning than I would have otherwise made in person. When you see someone everyday in the halls or sit next to them during independent work in class, there’s no real incentive to reach out to them. You know they are there, but that’s all they are: There. Their faint presence is almost noticeable to you, but not enough to keep you from overlooking them. This is a truth that’s hard to admit, but that I theorize most students can attest to. However, building relationships online is practically inevitable as that’s how most class participation is recorded. For anyone who says that virtual learning kills the prospect of forming relationships between students and other students or students and their teachers, I would just like to politely counter: You’re wrong.
One of the most intellectually significant positives of virtual learning is simply that it saves so much time that would otherwise be wasted scrolling through Snapchats, sending pictures of foreheads back and forth between you and the people you barely know. There’s no walking from class to class, no driving to and from school and no waiting for others to catch up in class after you’ve already finished your work. That last one is where most of the Snapchats are sent. In person, school is more of a collective effort where everyone is expected to cater to the needs of others. Not that this isn’t a noble act of consideration, but let’s face it, you have other things to do. Virtually, after finishing an assignment and making sure it’s up to snuff, you can get other things done, school related or otherwise. If you finish your work for Math, move on to English. If you have time between classes, make your bed or even relax and watch TV or listen to music. It’s up to you. Independence is one of the greatest gifts that being virtual will give you.
This isn’t the ideal situation we all had in our head. However, it has become our reality. It’s best not to run from it or wallow. What we should really do is embrace the gifts it’s given us, the biggest being pajama days in high school. I think that counts for something.
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 Kush Bansal | Dec 2, 2020 | Advice, Writing & Art
Ever since 1621 the holiday known as Thanksgiving has swept our nation every year. From the food, to meeting the family, to participating in American Consumerism on Black Friday; millions of people look forward to it every year. Unfortunately, this year is very different, with the CDC warning against people gathering for Thanksgiving and thousands of stores shutting down on Thanksgiving night, ending traditions for millions. But like the safe and responsible people we are we can hopefully keep a safe distance, wear masks, and wash our hands…I’m kidding. I am pessimistic so I can guarantee that cases of this thing called COVID-19 will skyrocket after Thanksgiving because no one will follow the advice given to us by medical professionals. While that is depressing news it is also my duty as a journalist to inform readers about what they can do to be safe, so that one person can follow my advice and still get quarantined because their aunt on Facebook says that COVID-19 is a hoax so she doesn’t wear a mask. I digress, you should listen or you will be stuck on house arrest for another 6 months:
- When preparing food make sure you wash your hands as frequently as possible. This may be a no-brainer however in a world where some people don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom it is important to kill the 99.9% of germs on your hands.
- Wear a mask. Please for the love of god wear a mask. I don’t care if you can’t breathe properly in one. Some people wearing face coverings for tens of hours a day and they don’t complain. Your trip to Walmart won’t suffocate you and neither will wearing your mask when you meet your family on Thanksgiving.
- Safely distance. Look, I get that life is hard enough with you having no friends but that doesn’t mean that you should go around hugging people and talking 4 inches from their face. Be mindful of others so that a) you won’t seem like a freak and b) you won’t spread germs to others.
- Keep politics and family separate. Biden won, Trump lost. There’s no need to represent your political merch at family dinner and instead you should talk about actual issues in the world such as our crippled economy, the lack of healthcare for all, and how millions are filing for unemployment every week. Not to sound bitter but there are other issues in the world that aren’t about you. Deal with it.
You got that? Fantastic. Now there’s nothing left to do but enjoy our holidays!!! By being safe and respectful you can do your part in making sure that our country (or in this case the limited population of Franklin) won’t be in shambles after the holidays this year. Comment down below what things you bought during Black Friday and any Thanksgiving stories that you have. Merry Thanksgiving!
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 Saber Slate | Mar 16, 2020 | Advice
The recent pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus has affected everyone in their daily routine. Here’s how you can stay healthy during your time away from school.
Remember to frequently wash your hands with soap and water. By washing your hands, viruses that may be on your hands are killed, and infection risk is decreased.
Practice social distancing. The World Health Organization suggests that your should maintain at least three feet between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. If you are too close, there is the possibility of breathing in the droplets which may contain the virus or other infectious diseases.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. For a lot of us, this is the most difficult one, because we are so used to doing this out of habit. But this is important to remember, because your hands touch many different surfaces over the course of the day and can pick up viruses. Then, the hands may transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth, then it can enter your body and make you sick.
Cover your coughing and sneezing. Always remember that you and people around you are coughing and sneezing by covering the mouth and nose with a bent elbow or tissue, and always throwing out the used tissue immediately. By following good respiratory hygiene etiquette, you protect yourself and others from viruses.
Stay home if you feel sick. Seek medical care if you experience the symptoms of coronavirus. Even if you don’t experience symptoms, you still could be infected, so please practice these tips to limit the spread of this virus.
Don’t travel. Don’t travel if you don’t need to. I know flight tickets are low, but just don’t. Your chances of becoming infected are much higher if you travel.
Stay up to date on the latest news about COVID-19 through reliable news services, your healthcare provider, as well as national and local health authorities. They have the most up to date information about the virus.
But most importantly, don’t panic. It’s a strange time for everyone. We are getting through this together.
