“High school is kind of hard. You need to focus more, that’s why I need to get out of my old habits,” Speight said.
Although the computer, friends, and baseball often get in the way of Speight’s studies, he hopes to change one step at a time, starting with television. So far, Speight has been decreasing his T.V. time little by little, allotting only two hours a day to catch up on his shows. To avoid the temptation of turning on the T.V., Speight spends as little time as possible in front of the screen. Rather than doing homework in his room, which is equipped with a T.V., Speight goes downstairs to complete his Advanced Geometry homework.
“I don’t know how long this will last, but I’m going to try,” Speight said.
Other students also suffer from the same problem, and may benefit from checking out the following tips:
How to Reduce Your Teen’s TV Time
“It’s really hard to maintain my social life and do well in school at the same time. I have to make sacrifices, but they’ll be worth it,” Han said.
Although Han did not do as well as she hoped she would for the first semester, she is eager to make a striking comeback with straight As for second semester. She hopes to improve from her 3.5 GPA and make it a 4.0.
“I’m going to study more, focus more and hopefully that will help me out. I really want to get straight As this semester. I am determined!” Han said.
Though all students are different and study in different ways, those who can relate to Han may benefit from the links below:
About two weeks into the first month of 2012, Nolasco already sees a big improvement.
“I want and plan to keep this going for the rest of my life. To keep on track I just study my faith everyday and reassure myself in prayer and fasting. My life has completely changed,” Nolasco said.
In addition to Nolasco’s daily routine, students who have the same goal may benefit from these tips:
Lina Tran- “I just hated feeling sad, and emotional and I wanted to be happier this year.”
Lina Tran, usually known for her upbeat personality, struggled to maintain her optimism during the stressful first semester of her junior year. Taking advanced and AP classes, Tran struggled to keep calm, always having the worry of college and grades at the back of her mind. However, on the first of January, Tran decided to make a few changes.
“I am just going to relax and take everything easy. If I had to give advice to someone, I would just tell them to think positively and remember everyday is a new day,” Tran said.
She hopes to use the past as inspiration to face the future and make the most out of it. Other students who also want to be more optimistic may benefit from the websites below:
Pratham Singh “(I am going to) take my dog on a walk everyday and call my grandparents every other day.”
Using technology at its best, junior Pratham Singh utilizes his “Siri” feature on his iPhone to remind him his New Year’s Resolution: to walk his dog and talk to his grandparents.
“My dog was always bored and I felt that my grandparents didn’t hear from me that often so I am going to call them every other day,” Singh said.
Although Singh is determined to carry out his resolution, he is afraid that there may be certain obstacles.
“Homework can probably get in the way, but it only takes 15 minutes of my time (to walk my dog or talk to my grandparents), so I guess that won’t really matter. Laziness for sure will be a problem with walking my dog, but we will see,” Singh said.
Laziness is a common obstacle for many New Years resolutions, but there are websites with cures. Here are a few that can help target laziness:
How to Stop Being Lazy- Overcoming Procrastination
Donna Cruz- “This has been bothering me for a while and it’s about time I work on it.”
Though she often appears to be quite confident in herself, senior Donna Cruz decided to tackle an issue that has evolved throughout her high school years. Cruz made her last New Year’s resolution as a high school student to be happy with who she is.
“I always compare myself to others and see how short I am, but I need to stop doing that. My height doesn’t matter and shouldn’t have an effect on me,” Cruz said.
Like Cruz, many high school students struggle with their self image. While some may be influenced by magazines and movies, others may be influenced by peers to change their image. However, Cruz is confident and determined to carry out her resolution.
“I don’t think I will face any obstacles really, it’s just a mental thing I need to work on. So far I have been improving and catch myself,” Cruz said.
Like Cruz, students should appreciate their true and unique beauty and learn to stop comparing themselves to others. Here are a few websites with some helpful tips:
7 Tricks to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others and Kick Envy to the Curb
by ILAF ESUF
