The Shoemaker Bugle

By Hermaione Sanchez

• Stay Organized. From a simple notebook to an expensive planner, staying organized with your assignments is essential. Color coding is extremely helpful. Different days = different colors, and once you finish an assignment, highlight it with whatever color it corresponds to. This way you know what you have due for the day and what you can get ahead on.
• Don’t wait until the last minute. I know it’s tempting to not do the assignments until the night it is due. But doing it right away and getting ahead are such amazing methods. For example, let’s say you have government notes, two math assignments, and a 3-part project due Thursday. Take each day up until Thursday to do the assignments. It is better to work most of the week rather than to try and cram it all in one day. Turning assignments in early is key to a successful school career. Besides, you will most likely have more free time. Free time without worrying about assignments is more valuable than free time with a constant reminder that you have 4 assignments due in a few hours.
• Push yourself and prioritize. Now more than ever. Since everything is from home and you don’t have teachers giving you time limits in class, you need to do that for yourself. If you have an assignment that is doable in a few minutes, do it ASAP. Just because it’s easy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prioritize it. You should finish those first so all your attention goes to more complicated assignments.
• Have self discipline. Teachers aren’t present to take your phone away, or to make you pay attention, but you need to discipline yourself. Trust me, stay off TikTok during class and pay attention and take notes. It is the best way to ensure good grades and proper understanding of the subject. It will do you good when that chapter test comes– trust me.
• Have integrity. We all know that when you’re desperate to get an assignment done at the last minute, your mind goes to copying. But, this goes back to point 2 and 4, above. If you don’t wait until the last minute, you have more time to work on your assignment, and if you take notes and pay attention, you should understand the subject, therefore, making it easier to complete your work. If you have any questions, teachers are open to answering them and they are more than happy to help you out.
• Find a quiet place to work. Not all of us have access to a quiet place at home, but just try your best to find any place you can work at without getting interrupted. If you have little siblings, try to get away from them so that there isn’t too much noise. If necessary, go to a park or even outside to your patio, lay a towel and do your work there. If all else fails, put on your headphones and play your best study music to block out any other noise.
• Have hope. I know it’s a typical thing to say but it’s the realest thing I could have mentioned. Not giving up hope is extremely important during these times. It’s essential to staying mentally healthy. We won’t stay like this forever– you’ll get out and live your life. But for now, work hard and stay focused. Remember, it’ll all be worth it in the end.