Making the Grade

High school. It is considered by some to be “the best years of your life.” Regardless of whether or not you’d agree with this statement, one’s time in high school is chock full of fond memories and the fun times and people that helped to make them. It’s always great to have fun, however, let us remember that high school is indeed school and should be taken somewhat seriously. It’s true: College’s look at the courses you take and the grades you earn. Your high school performance could potentially stand in between you and getting into the college you want to attend the most.
Take it from me, being what one would consider a “good student” isn’t all that hard! I’d like to now share with you some tips that helped me out a whole lot during my time in high school:

1) Set a Reasonable Bedtime: I’ll admit it, waking up at 6:00 a.m. to catch a school bus at 7:00 isn’t exactly something anyone enjoys. I for one am NOT a morning person. However, one can try to beat the morning slump by getting a decent amount of sleep. I probably wouldn’t have survived waking up if it wasn’t for my 9:00 p.m. bedtime (it sounds way early and childish, but no joke!) According to an article by TeensHealth.org (http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/take_care/how_much_sleep.html), teenagers need a minimum of 8 ½ hours of sleep each night. Sleep has a big influence on mood, focus, and can also affect grades!

2) Eat Breakfast: Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day! It keeps you fueled and focused.

3) Attend ALL Classes: DUH! One can’t make the grades if they aren’t there to learn! Also, it’s probably a good thing that one gets into the habit of good attendance: Each college course has a price tag and I doubt that students or their parents would want to throw money away for un-attended classes.

4) Ask for Homework Help: Having trouble with that physics homework? Don’t fully understand the concepts of trigonometry? Try to get extra help from a teacher or an after-school tutoring program. I guarantee it will pay off when report card time rolls around! Remember: There is no such thing as a stupid question!

5) Think Before Acting: Detentions and school suspensions aren’t exactly something to be proud of. Before acting out or pulling that infamous “senior prank” before graduation, always consider potential consequences.


Thanks for reading! Until next time!

♥

Dropping Into College Drop-In

Welcome to College Drop-In! I’m Erin Wall, a junior Broadcast Communications major at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania: Yeah… I never heard of it either until I found myself here, surrounded by Amish buggies...
It seems like just yesterday I was wrapping up my time at high school and moving on to bigger and better things waiting for me in the middle of Amish Country. Being in the middle of my third year at college, you can be sure that I have a fair share of stories to tell and valuable information to pass on. That being said, I’d like to pass that information on to you through this: my Senior Capstone blog.
At Westminster, your Senior Capstone is a big, stressful project that determines whether or not one has wasted three years of their life in their selected major. Though the Capstone Project varies with major, it basically determines whether or not a student is able to graduate and is prepared for their profession outside of the college bubble.
Of you’re reading this, perhaps you’re a nervous high school student preparing for your transition college. Or maybe you are a parent overwhelmed by the fact that “your little baby” isn’t so little anymore and getting ready to pack up and leave the proverbial “nest” for the first time. No matter which side you’re on, the transition to college is a stressful time filled with applications, tests, and rough decisions.
Through this blog, I hope to help both parties with this transition by discussing my issues and experiences in the big move to college. Where I lack experience, I will provide information from professional sources that may better answer your questions and concerns. Don’t worry: We’ll hopefully get through this whole thing unscathed…

♥