Congratulations to all Hingham High School students for completing term 1! As term 2 approaches, it is important to keep up the great work and adapt to any ways of studying or completing school work that didn’t work in the previous term. To all freshmen, the scariest part of high school is done. To all seniors, that school year is flying by; appreciate each day before you graduate and move on to the next amazing chapter of your life.
The very first term of high school can be full of different emotions, both good and bad. But, it is important to ask questions if you are ever lost.
Freshman Callie Creen asks, “Going into term two, how do I avoid burnout? How can I balance academics and sports more efficiently? How do I avoid distractions from my phone?”
Everyone has different study tactics and ways to go about school work. Some strategies that a friend may use might not work for you. But, trying out different ways of studying and finding one that fits you is important and will help students see results in the effort put in and grades received.
Junior Caroline Doherty states, “After three years of juggling sports and school, I finally found a good routine that works for me. Winter is my busiest season because I have hockey along with midterms. I have practice right after school, but also 5AM practices. So, I can’t be up late doing homework if I have to be up early the next day. My strategy is to put my phone and computer on “Do Not Disturb” mode, and leave my phone in a separate room. I spend 30 minutes on a subject, then switch to a different subject if I am feeling tired and need a change of information and pace. Also, I find that creating a detailed schedule and list of reminders helps me to stay organized and on top of work. If I have a test in a week, I will spend a few days making Quizlets on different topics of the test. Then, I will spend the next few days leading up to the test using the Flashcard portion of Quizlet. One piece of advice I would give to Freshman, or anyone struggling with studying in general or balancing school and sports, is not to stress perfecting a schedule. You want to avoid burnout, so take everything day by day, and If you feel overwhelmed talk to a close friend.”
Anna Merod, a reporter for K-12 Dive, researched students and teenagers usage of phones in general, and at school. The results are shocking. Anna states, “Overall, Common Sense Media found teens use their phones on a daily basis, with a median use time of over four hours. Students picked up their phones a median of 51 times per day, though pickup amounts ranged from two to 498 times per day.” These statistics can be felt and understood by peers at local Hingham High School. Many students struggle with focusing on work inside and outside of school. One of the main distractions can be phones, and feeling the constant need to be with their phone or in eye-sight of their phone.
Sophomore Julia Whitney states, “I have an average of 4 hours and 11 minutes a day on my phone. My top apps are Tik Tok, Spotify, and Netflix. Personally, I think my phone can be a distraction to academics and affect my sleep. When I have my phone next to me while doing homework, it takes me longer because I check my phone for notifications and respond to texts and snaps, while also doing my homework. Also, before I go to bed I scroll through tik tok, which makes it harder to sleep. Compared to when I plug my phone and leave it on my nightstand; I fall asleep much faster.”
One way to prepare for term 2 is to access the actions taken during term one. A big part of life is learning from one’s mistakes. In school, students learn the skill of adapting to new environments with different teachers, classmates, and subjects.
Sophomore James Pariseault states, “I will adapt myself for next term by taking advantage of opportunities my teachers have like extra credit work, staying after or before school, and asking more questions in class instead of assuming I can figure it out on my own.”
