Handle High School Like a Pro

The new school year is here, and that means a lifestyle switch from the easy days of summer. Don’t worry! Master these tips and you’ll settle into a rhythm in no time.

Dedicate a space and time to studying. Set aside time in the evening at the beginning of the week (Monday, Tuesday or both). Use this time each week to work on homework. If you don’t have homework, spend it studying from the book. If you do it every week, you’ll have a strong foundation for the rest of your school career.

Find an after-school extracurricular activity. It can be a school club, a sport or a community volunteer group. Keeping busy after school with something social and productive is preferable in just about every way compared to playing video games or sitting around and watching TV. The experiences will help you grow and learn to deal with different situations. Additionally, they’ll look great on your college applications. Finally, you’ll be glad to look back on memories of things you did in real life, and not behind a screen.

Ignore gossip. As great as high school can be, there is a lot of drama. Some of your peers are bound to say things about each other (or even you) that are mean-spirited, or even untrue. Whether you hear negative things about your friends or yourself, it’s best to find a way to ignore it. If you suspect someone is trying to reel you into a nasty situation, just look for a way to dodge it. You definitely don’t need the stress.

Front-load your effort. As a semester winds down, it can be difficult to keep up your efforts. With the holidays looming, you might be tempted to let your studying slide. Thus, it’s wise to put a lot of effort into your early tests and homework. For example, you’ll have a much easier time ending the semester with a 3.5 or 3.8 GPA if you start out with a 4.0 than you will if you start with a 2.7.

Make Your Own Halloween Costume

It’s the time of year when Halloween superstores start to pop up all over the nation. They’re always a lot of fun to visit because they seem to have everything, from giant motion-sensing monster lawn decorations to hundred-dollar rubber masks. However, there’s one Halloween experience that’s more fun than visiting a superstore: making your own costume.

Come up with an idea. One place to start is by looking in the mirror. Do you resemble any major characters you like? It’s wise to choose something that people will be familiar with. If there’s a famous character from a movie, book, popular myth or even a person who has been in the news, you can make a costume of them! Some creative individuals choose not to be a person at all; they dress up as the punch line of a joke. Of course, the idea-generation process is one you should enjoy with your friends!
Decide on and collect materials. As you brainstorm ideas, help each other figure out what you’ll need to pull off your disguises. Be creative! Don’t limit yourself to materials you would find in a Halloween store. Thrift shops and consignment stores are great places to find clothing that will fit your costume. Craft and hardware stores will be great stops if you’re dressing up as an object. For example, with foam core, rubber tubing and some LEDs, you can make one heck of a robot costume.
Throw an assembly party. Once everyone has everything they need, get together in a basement and built your costumes together! It’s wise to keep your important pieces in separate areas of the basement. However, it’s not a bad idea to set items that you can all use near the center of the room. For example, paint, glue, markers and glitter can all be shared. Make sure to put on the costume for a trial run!
Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Give yourself plenty of time to get your costume on when Halloween night rolls around. If any homework is due the next day, get it finished the night before Halloween. Make sure to take pictures before you go out!

Enjoy all the candy (but not in one night); you’ve earned it!