4th Quarter and Studying

Can you believe that today kicked off the start of the 4th quarter?  It doesn't seem possible that we would be heading into the final quarter of the year, but we are and the reality is that for many students the 3rd quarter was a struggle.  This means that as we head into the 4th quarter it is imperative that you finish the 2nd semester and the year off strong.

One critical component that many students seem to struggle with is studying.  Recently I have been hearing lots of people saying that they are doing all of their homework, but are still not doing well on tests or quizzes.  If that sounds familiar to you, then chances are you are struggling to study effectively.

Reviewing content and reading through your notes is not the same thing as studying.  It is essential that you DO something with the content and knowledge you have gained in your classes.  It is that process of actively interacting with the information which helps to solidify it in your brain so that you have it accessible on your tests.

Please remember that the WKHS counselor website has lots of information about stud strategies that you can consider trying.  (It is located under the academic category in the section on Student Success.)  Additionally, don't forget that the Academic Assistants in Room 209 are available to help you study and I am also more than happy to work with you on study skills.

Below are additional articles related to studying which will also help give you ideas to consider to put yourself in the best position possible entering the final quarter.

10 college study tips high school students can master now

Your high school study habits may not work in college, here’s why

Technology tips that can help you study this year

This one minute life hack will make you do everything better than before

How to overcome test anxiety

Teaching good study habits, minute by minute

Hone the top 5 soft skills every college student needs

Local Scholarships

Have you been on the Kilbourne Counselor website lately to check out the local scholarships that are now available?  The Kilbourne Counselor website is www.wkhscounselors.com.  These scholarships provide a great opportunity for students to earn some additional financial help for college. And, with the scholarships being local, it means that there would be less people applying for the scholarships (compared to national scholarships) which gives you a better chance of receiving one of the scholarships.

Please take the time to carefully read through the criteria for the scholarships to see which ones would be appropriate for you to apply for and then start working. When you go to the WKHS Counselors website and read through the local scholarships you will be able to click on the link to each scholarship application.

Most of the deadlines for completed applications is the end of the school day on April 7th (some are earlier) and no late applications can be accepted. I cannot stress enough the importance of planning ahead and starting to work on these scholarships now!

Also, please pay attention to see if the applications require a written recommendation letter and ask your teacher(s) for a letter as soon as possible - especially if they have not already written a rec letter that you can use for the scholarships.

Also, don't forget that a complete list of all the other scholarships that we are aware of are also featured on the Kilbourne Counselor website in the scholarship area.

March 20th and March 21st Schedules

As you have heard, on March 20th and March 21st all 9th and 10th grade students will be taking the English End of Course exams and all 11th grade students will be taking the ACT.  Because of the amount of time needed for the tests, we will be under a very different bell schedule.  (Seniors, you will get to sleep in during the testing period.)  Below are the bell schedules for your reference.  Please note that the lunch periods will be first after periods of the day after testing has concluded because we want to be sure that you get lunch at a reasonable time of day.

Monday, March 20th:
Testing: 7:45 - 10:05
Break: 10:10 - 10:25
4th Period: 10:30 - 11:00
5th Period: 11:05 - 11:35
6th Period: 11:40 - 12:10
7th Period: 12:15 - 12:45
1st Period: 12:50 - 1:20
2nd Period: 1:25 - 1:55
3rd Period: 2:00 - 2:30
8th Period: 2:35 - 3:05

Tuesday, March 21st:
Testing: 7:45 - 11:05
Break: 11:10 - 11:25
4th Period: 11:30 - 11:52
5th Period: 11:57 - 12:19
6th Period: 12:24 - 12:46
7th Period: 12:51 - 1:13
1st Period: 1:18 - 1:40
2nd Period: 1:45 - 2:07
3rd Period: 2:12 - 2:34
8th Period: 2:39 - 3:05

AP Exam Registration Reminder

If you want to take an AP exam, the deadline to sign up to take the AP exams is just 2 weeks away!  Taking the AP exam (and doing well) is how students have the opportunity to earn college credit for the classes you completed in high school.  Please remember that the colleges are responsible for establishing their own policies about what scores are required to be able to earn credits at their school.  The fee for each AP exam is $100 (unless you're on free/ reduced lunch) and must be submitted online by March 22nd.  Additional information about the AP tests and the online registration link is available on the Worthington website at www.worthington.k12.oh.us and then you will find it in the Gifted Services area (which is located under the Academics tab).

Procrastination

Procrastination is one of the more common problem areas that students battle. Every year I meet some students who are "master procrastinators." The reality is that some people don't mind putting everything off until the last possible second and then working like crazy to get everything accomplished before the deadline, but this can result in a lot of unnecessary stress. Procrastination certainly doesn’t mean that you are lazy or incapable, but it is often a sign that something is getting in your way of completing your tasks and responsibilities. If you are interested in learning strategies for gaining control over your tendencies to procrastinate, it is important to remember that there are no quick fixes. As with most things in life, what works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else so it is important to find a strategy that will work effectively for you. I doubt that any of these suggestions will be ideas that you have never heard of before, but it comes down to deciding that you want to try to make a change. So, reward yourself for progress made because it does take time to improve.

Some ideas to help combat procrastination:

Plan ahead.

Break your big projects, assignments, or responsibilities down into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Commit to spending at least 15 minutes working on something that you have been avoiding.

Remind yourself that there is not going to be a better time – not tomorrow, not next weekend, or next month – something else will always come up that continues to contribute to the procrastination.

Ask for help.

Focus on the desired outcome – rather than your fear or inaction.

Be realistic – most tasks take far longer than you expect.

Minimize Distractions… and take care of whatever is distracting you.

Let go of perfectionism. (And, for those of you who are perfectionists, I know that this is a hard one, but the reality is that many things aren’t worth doing perfectly, so just start and do your best – it will still be better than not doing it at all.)

Recruit a friend to help keep you accountable. (If you tell someone else about your goal or plan to battle your typical procrastination blocks, you may be more likely to follow through, but please make sure it is a friend who will help you stay accountable not convince you that it is OK to put off starting your paper for a few more days.)

Do the hard part first… or… do the easy part first. (Whichever is more motivating to you is the one you should choose.)

Keep track of your progress so you don't lose sight of how much you've accomplished.

The bottom line is that if you get it done when you need to instead of procrastinating, you’ll feel better about yourself and have less stress… so get to work. :-)

Students of the Month

Last Friday morning was the ceremony to honor the students who were selected as March Students of the Month. Students are nominated as students of the month by Kilbourne faculty and staff for their academic achievement, good citizenship, and/or service to the school or community. Students can only earn this recognition once in their high school career.

Seven of "my" students were among those honored this month. Congratulations to (left to right): Devon Billingsley, Lily Burhenne, Lindsey Buterbaugh, Ava Burson, Hannah Chambers, Catie Duzzny and Oscar Brashear. I'm proud of you!

3rd Quarter & GPA Calculator

I am sorry that I have been gone from blogging for so long!  I really didn't intend for my few days break to be a full week, but I appreciate your patience.  We celebrated my grandmother's life today with a great gathering and now that I have finished that I will have my evenings free to do things like blogging again.

It is hard to believe that the 3rd quarter ends on Thursday.  Many students are trying to guesstimate what they need to do in order to raise their grade point average.  Remember, the quarter grades are not included in the calculations for your cumulative GPA - that is only based upon your semester grades.  However, this GPA Calculator will allow you to calculate what grades you would need to earn in order to achieve your desired GPA.  Please note that you will need to include your current cumulative GPA and total number of credits earned at this point.  You can find that information on Infinite Campus.

Good luck finishing the 3rd quarter strong!