The Paw Print

By Madeleine Spanbauer, Editor-in-Chief

As my final school year at Payton comes to a close, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on my time here, specifically about what I wish I’d known about high school from the beginning. The school can seem overwhelming and scary at first; I remember when I was a freshman, stressing about my AP Human Geo guided reading assignments. As I’ve grown these past four years, I’ve realized that there are many worse things than a guided reading (looking right at you, AP Chem), but there are many things you can do to help yourself out. And as a seasoned professional in the Walter Payton ecosystem, I thought I’d share some of the advice I wish I had known when I was starting my high school journey.

How do I deal with a stressful course load?

I think the best way to manage a stressful course load is to plan, plan, plan. When I was in AP Chem, I came up with a strategy for breaking down the readings, homework, lab reports, and studying. While many people don’t plan on taking AP Chem, the same principle can apply to other classes. Plan out your week, and I’m not talking about just writing down what is due on what day. Think about what homework problems you want to do on a particular day, and how much of a particular assignment you want to accomplish in a given sitting. Make a plan and stick to it. That way, you always know what to expect for your week, and you know how to arrange your study schedule to ace your test.

What are your best study habits/tips?

I will forever stick by the flashcard approach. There’s a website that’s very similar to Quizlet called Knowt, and you can access it on your CPS account. This may seem like overkill, but when you sit down to study for a test, start by turning all of your notes from the unit into a study guide. Add as many colors and graphics as you want; make it fun to create and fun to look at. Then, turn everything in that study guide into flashcards. It may seem like enough to just make the study guide, but you want to take the extra step. You will retain a lot of the information through the act of making the study guide, and the flashcards will lock it in, so you won’t forget it.

What is the best way to make friends?

Try new things! Join clubs with things you’re interested in, try a new sport, and ask for help from your neighbor in your classes. The best way to meet new people is to put yourself out there, even if it’s just striking up a conversation with someone in one of your classes. You have something to offer, you just have to show people that you have it in the first place.

What’s the best way to get involved?

My best advice would be to find a couple of activities that you’re really interested in and passionate about and focus on those, rather than try to spread yourself over a million clubs. In the beginning, of course, try as many things as possible. But, over time, you’ll find yourself gravitating towards a few that you care about more than the others. Stick to those, and if it’s something you are passionate about, you’ll be able to make more of an impact on the club than if you were spread thin. And of course, keep other smaller activities in addition to the few main ones where you’re putting most of your energy, but don’t let them consume all of your time.

How can I prepare for applying to college?

It’s not the worst thing to be thinking about college already, but do NOT let it consume all of your decisions. Don’t take all of the impossible classes that you’re not interested in because it’ll look good on your college application. Don’t do things you’re not excited about just because your parents told you you have to. By picking the few activities that you care about, your passion for those will shine through on your application, so focus your time on doing those. Pick classes according to your interests, not based on what your friends are doing or what you think will be the most impressive, because that is how you perform at your best.

How do I balance school with social life?

This goes back to my earlier point about planning. If you make a solid outline for everything you want to get done on each day of the week (which I know sounds neurotic, but I promise it works), you will be able to manage your time to find a balance. Once you’ve gotten into the groove of your schedule and how much time you generally need to spend on each one, you’ll have a much easier time making and managing plans. Also, remember that teachers often will give you some time to get things done during your classes to get work done, so take advantage of that! I promise that using that time efficiently will pay off later.

What do you wish you knew when you were a freshman?

I wish I knew that my life would always be changing. It’s easy to think that your life is set in stone when you start high school, but I guarantee you that your life will look astronomically different by the time you graduate. It’s startling to me to look back at myself as a freshman because I have changed so much. Remember that if freshman year wasn’t for you, every year is a new opportunity to improve. I have loved every year of high school better than the previous one, and while that may not be true for everyone, you can use it as a baseline to know that your life will not stay as it is right now. Become comfortable with change because every year will bring new joys and challenges, and if you embrace them rather than push them away, you’re likely to have a fulfilling and successful high school experience.