By Kai Rebelo
We went on a mission to find all of hidden gems of academic success from three educators here at EI Diamante. Brace yourselves as we unveil the priceless tips, tricks, and undercover secrets to acing every test, quiz, and class during your four years here. Mrs. Olivarez, one of our Spanish maestras, Mr. Robb, the mathematics and calculus mentor, and Mr. Borquez, the alchemist of AP and normal Chem, graciously shared their wisdom with us to guide our students towards a flawless and easier journey to graduation. Get ready to unravel the real mystery to getting those perfect grades!
Time Management
A lot of students typically struggle with managing their time, especially high school students as they may have work, sports, clubs, and other after school activities and may not have the best amount of time to work on homework, study, or do unfinished assignments.
Perfectly said by Mrs. Olivarez, “It is super important to be aware of what you spend your time on and what deserves more time in your life,” As she understands the fact that school work may not be the very first priority on some student’s mind.
“Sometimes this means making sure to schedule some extra study time in your day for the class or classes that are proving to be more challenging. And other times it means taking a break of all the studying and taking some time to relax and recharge. Reflect on what your are spending your time on every now and then and reevaluate if your are using your time wisely.” Although getting schoolwork done quickly and efficiently, making sure you aren’t overworking yourself and are getting enough rest is equally as important!
The Dreaded Math Class
According to a study done by the Department of Education, about 88% of high school students state Math as their least favourite or even most hated class, their major reasons being that the lessons are the most difficult to understand, and even 30% of high school students end up failing the class entirely. Luckily for us, we have our own Mr. Robb to give us some insight in order to lower these numbers as low as we possibly can.
Understanding and “being good at” math isn’t simply about memorizing every rule and exception, “if you can understand how the math concept works, you probably don’t have to memorize it.” And although most kids just want to get their assignments done and over with, “try not to just get math assignments done, but use the assignment to help you understand the math concepts,” fully understanding concepts could help you on future tests and quizzes more than just doing the minimum.
Speaking Up
According to Your Teen Magazine, Scientific Research Publishing, and the Department of Education, about 40% – 60% of high school students are shy and quiet during their classes and lessons. This causes students to be more afraid to ask questions to their peers and/or teachers making them slightly behind. However, ever though “sometimes it is easier to sit down, be quiet, and try to be invisible in a class where you are struggling. What we really should do in these cases is speak up and ask for help.Chances are you aren’t alone and there are other students who are also afraid of speaking up and asking for help. Speaking up may lead you to gaining a new friend and study partner or maybe even a study group!” as Mrs. Olivarez proclaims.
Mr. Robb fully agrees with this statement as he believes that asking for help is extremely crucial, “It doesn’t look dumb asking for help, but it does look dumb NOT asking for help. The smart choice is to ask for help.”
Getting Frustrated With Your Assignments
On a separate topic, Robb also tells us that, “when you are getting frustrated about a particular math problem, try a different problem to get your mind off of it and then come back to it with a fresh perspective,” where this can be very helpful in your math class, it is also a wonderful tip for absolutely any class! Robb words it perfectly by stating that, “being slow at doing math does not mean you are not good at it” and he thinks that “it helps to practice a little bit of math over multiple days instead of only all at once. Kind of like how commercials can influence you over time.”
Many of us do our math assignments and practices on delta math, which provides examples and videos which “are your friend” as said by Robb, and this is because they are extremely helpful and show you ways to do the problem and walk you through the steps when you’re feeling a bit behind or frustrated.
Never Giving Up!
Simply giving up after a problem or two of confusion on your homework only leads to wasted time and bad grades on your tests. A study done by the University of California in Riverside showed that after a test, kids that did their homework outperformed almost 70% of the students that didn’t do the homework. Mr. Borquez seconds this idea and gave us a sourced opinion from a book titled “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell that explores the factors that contribute to high levels of success, such as opportunity, cultural background, and practice. Borquez says that it, “essentially says that success, of any kind, will come to anybody willing to put in the time. You can’t give up if you don’t understand an assignment after looking at it for five seconds. You have to be willing to try, fail, ask for help, and repeat as long as it takes.”
In our mission for academic success at EI Diamante, we’ve learned a lot from our awesome teachers. Mrs. Olivarez, Mr. Robb, and Mr. Borquez spilled the beans on how to make high school easier. Whether it’s Mrs. Olivarez’s tips on managing time or Mr. Robb’s advice for surviving math class, we’ve got the inside scoop. So, fellow high schoolers, take a break, participate in class, approach challenges with a positive mindset, and, most importantly, don’t give up. As we tackle homework and tests, remember: success is a journey, not a quick glance. Let’s make our four years here a story of success, growth, and maybe a few unexpected study buddies!