It is June, and the end of the school year is finally here. Looking around Woodgrove, it is your last last day of high school ever. Walking in, the realization hits you that there have been so many ups and downs in your high school career. You have learned so much, and it is time to impart that wisdom on the rest of Woodgrove.
Patrick Lyons is a senior baseball player who is also committed to the Air Force Academy. Lyons shared, “Just study. Read through the stuff in class, understand the stuff in class. When you have questions, go in and ask your teachers…Good connections with your teachers are just so much better for your grades.” While that can be helpful, Lyons also says to do your work when you are most motivated. “I’m more motivated to do work in the morning…Sometimes I’ll just go to bed early and do some sort of exercise in the morning.” Lyons says that if he does that then “I’m just more motivated throughout the day to get everything done.”
DJ Bundick, a senior who works as a pet sitter shares that it is important to ask around if you are looking for a job, saying, “Some of my friends did [pet sitting] before me…They just recommended it. The pay is good and it’s fun to take care of pets.” Bundick also expressed that school work should come first, and you have to make sacrifices. He said, “Depending on the class that I have, like if it’s a harder class, sometimes I’ll tell my boss that I can’t do the certain job, whatever it may be, just so I have more time to study. It just really varies from class to class.”
John Hays, a senior at Woodgrove and The Academies, has a lot to say as well. Hays is big on balance, stating, “One thing this year I’ve done, at the start of each quarter, there’s a small group of my friends, we’ve gone and got breakfast before the first day of the new quarter which is helpful I think, keeping school life balanced.” Hays also expressed his favorite study method, the Pomodoro technique. “I take 25 minutes, study, 5 minute break, 25 minutes…It kind of allows you to reset every few minutes and it doesn’t get you distracted.” Lastly, Hays has come a far way with stress and this is his “damage control” plan when it comes to it. “I get stressed a lot, but I overcome that by just taking time to get what’s due next, done…If I have something due tomorrow, I’m going to do that first instead of worrying about something due in a few days. Even if the something due in a few days is bigger, it’s still not as important as what’s due tomorrow.”
Liala Berg is a soccer player at Woodgrove and has finally found the balance she needs. “Make both an equal priority, like doing my school before I do athletics, so I can get both done.” Berg also says that it is helpful to do school work on the bus, saying, “On the bus rides to away games, I would do my schoolwork on the bus.” Finally, if you are scared to join a sports team, do not be. Berg mentioned, “Everyone can make an impact on a team…It can either be a small impact all the way to a big impact.”
Rory Schriver, Class Council Vice President, had some things to say as well. To deal with stress and get good grades, Schriver recommends a planner. “Planning it out really helps,” Schriver stated. As for getting good grades, Schriver says, “Do your homework, pay attention in class…Going in the morning to talk to teachers if you’re struggling, that’s been my biggest thing. Just being super communicative with teachers, emailing them, talking to them…all my teachers have been so sweet and they want to help.” Schriver added, “Get involved with the school, try out for sports! If you’re slightly interested in something, try it out! I’ve done like 5 different sports and some of them I haven’t done before. I just think high school is such a great opportunity to do those types of things.”
Kennedy Dehler, the technical director for Woodgrove’s Theater Department, said that it is important to make strong relationships with your teachers so you can be open with your struggles. “Teachers might understand that you’re in a show if you say I’m sorry, this is show week, I’m staying at school till 11 pm, I’m not getting home, I’m not sleeping very well, can I just have an extra day.” Dehler also says it is important to keep your priorities straight, stating, “Understanding that your extracurriculars are not everything…there has been times when I recognized I need just an hour to do my homework and sit at home and sometimes you just have to make that time and communicate with the person that’s running your thing.” Like others, Dehler also highlighted the importance of putting yourself out there. Dehler states, “I would say that the people in theater don’t make it feel like you don’t know people. You very quickly meet people and it’s a large group, but it’s not large enough that people don’t get lost.”
Ava Welsh, Fellowship Club Co-President, had advice too. To keep her day on track, Welsh said, “I just make a to-do list every single day…I write down the really small reminders to myself so I don’t let anything slide through the cracks and that helps me.” As for staying motivated when it comes to studying, Welsh remarks, “Something that helps me a lot to study is going somewhere besides my house or just getting a change of scenery in general.” Welsh is big on surrounding yourself with the right people, stating, “My friends and my family have been so supportive of me and they’re always there to make me feel better if I’m down or to make me laugh when I need a good laugh.”
You only have four years of high school, you just have to get through it. Welsh stated, “The only way to get through it is to get through it…If you’re scared to do something, or you don’t know how something’s going to work out, you just have to do it.”