The senior years of high school are tough. There is no way to sugar coat that. Throw in a global pandemic, economic meltdown and political turmoil and you have the makings for a chaotic academic and social year. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. We’ve compiled a list of some ways that you can create calm in those final, chaotic years of high school.
Get active
A good majority of us spent the last two and a half years fairly sedentary. How could you not? We were asked to spend all day, every day at home, studying, learning, and living. It’s time to put that to rest, pun intended, though. Carve out 20 minutes of activity a day, whether it’s yoga, the gym, a walk, a hike —just get out and move your body. The endorphins released through movement will help create the calm we are looking for and give you that added boost of energy. That’s right, your body creates its own energy! Pretty cool, right?
Focus on YOU
There is a lot to think about in your final years of high school, on top of the 4-8 classes you are taking during the day. Why not create an extra spare period in a day and take a course at night. You can enrol in night school through Blyth Academy, and take a class twice a week, for two hours a session. These courses are spread out over five months and allow you to capitalize on 1:1 support during teacher office hours after each lesson. This will create more time during the day, where you can focus on what lights you up.
Find support that works for you
Whether it is a tutor, a coach, a mentor, or a friend, find someone who is in your corner. Ideally, this person will be someone you can trust and who will listen to you with an open mind. Between university and college applications, extra curriculars and the general stresses of those final years of high school, it is crucial that you have people to communicate your anxieties to. If you’re feeling like you are navigating through life and school alone, research a life coach in your area. Find one who fits with you and can be that lifeline you didn’t know existed.
Toss the phone
It’s a fact. We are addicted to our phones and have an unhealthy relationship with social media. Attachment to phones causes heightened anxiety, depression and is the cause of a lot of wasted time and lost sleep. Try and minimize time on your phone, but don’t cut it out completely because that is not realistic. During your dedicated school time, toss your phone so that you are completely focused on schoolwork. Pro Tip: tossing your phone 30-60 minutes before you go to bed improves the quality of your sleep. You will wake up feeling more rested and are more likely to have an uninterrupted sleep.
Lighten your course load
In Grade 10 or 11, it is wise to start considering what your final year of high school will look like, keeping in mind just how busy you will be. Lighten your timetable by taking an evening course with Blyth Academy. This gives you the opportunity to take one of the core courses, which tend to be most difficult, ahead of time, so long as you have the correct prerequisite. You’ll thank us in Grade 12, trust us.
Follow these tips and you’ll find the final two years of high school a bit calmer and more controlled. Interested in learning more about how night school through Blyth Academy can help you? E-mail parttime@blytheducation.com for the full run down.
- Blyth Academy News