Welcome to the first part of the School Survival series, brought to you by Help Young Minds! Each month, we will share a dedicated blog post filled with tips and advice to help you through your academic journey. As we approach the time of year when university applications start to open in early October, it is natural to feel a bit anxious. If you are just starting high school and eager to learn helpful tips for navigating your academic journey successfully, well, look no further! This blog will explore and guide you through all the tools you need to survive school!
One of the most important things to remember during the university application process is to stay calm and collected. Early stress can take a toll on your mental health! Speaking from experience, I used to let stress overwhelm me to the point of panic attacks! My mother always reminded me: “Nothing is more important than your health.” And those words have stuck with me.
As you begin to explore and think about your future, ensure you take care of yourself as it is all too easy to neglect your own needs during busy or stressful times! In this blog, I will share effective strategies that will help you in your future (and current!) academic journey and endeavors. I will draw from my own experiences to show what I learned along the way. All these strategies will work for anyone whether you are a high school or university student.
1. Focus on Mental Well-Being
It is no surprise that the first strategy I want to highlight is about prioritizing your mental well-being. As you start school, you might be thinking about the location of your classes or feeling anxious about a particular class or subject. Regardless of your concerns, you must always ensure your mental health remains a priority. If you ever feel overwhelmed, consider practicing meditation or deep breathing exercises. And if you need further support, you should always seek support from a counselor, parent, or a friend. Remember, it is okay to ask for help when you need it!
One of the most significant stresses that I faced was during a required undergraduate course that I did not enjoy. Although it was a required class for my degree, I found the subject uninteresting, which made the experience overwhelming and negatively impacted my mental health. Since I recognized the difficulty of the subject, I seeked support early on. I formed study groups with friends and met with my professor to discuss study strategies for this class. These techniques helped me a lot and it ultimately helped me succeed in the course!
2. Prioritize Health and Wellness
Once you start school, you might feel like there is never enough time in the day or week to fit in exercise! However, just like your mental health, your physical health is equally important, as too they affect each other! Aim to always perform regular exercise a few times a week. For example, consider walking to the bus stop further away in the mornings on your way to school to get your daily workout in! Do not forget to also sleep and eat well!
I definitely struggled with maintaining a consistent exercising routine. At one point, I started gaining unhealthy weight from the continuous cycle of studying then going to bed without moving. To address this issue, I tried to find an activity that will allow me to exercise, while still completing another task I needed to do. My two cats love their daily outdoor adventure and they will not stop meowing at the door until I let them out! Therefore, I started taking them for walks everyday with me around the neighborhood, while getting my daily exercise and break from studying!
3. Master Time Management
One of the biggest challenges students face is learning to manage their time effectively. As you progress in your education, the demands on your schedule will slowly increase. However, with experience, you will begin to develop time management skills that best fit with your schedules. The key is to start early! One helpful tip is to prioritize your tasks. For instance, if something can be completed in just a few minutes, do not put it off until the last minute or spend too much time on it! Learn to identify what needs more of your time and attention and what does not. Another essential strategy is to set achievable goals. Instead of trying to complete a big project with five parts in one night before the deadline, spread it out over several days. Complete one part a day, so that you do not feel overwhelmed on the due date.
The transition for me from high school to university was a significant leap! I had to adjust how much I spent on each task to ensure I had enough time for all my classes, but also for myself! One method that worked best for me was using a timer to see how much time a task might take. The timer kept me focused and on track. If the timer went off and I did not finish, I learned to adjust the time I needed for next time when faced with a similar task. On the other hand, if I end up finishing the task before the timer, I used the remaining time for some well-deserved ‘me’ time. Whether it is exercise, meditating, or even scrolling through Instagram, practicing any self-care techniques will make you feel good throughout your academic journey!
And remember: always make sure to always put your mental and physical health first!
