Month: January 2016

Time Management For Teens – There’s An App For That!

Each week, you have dozens of things you have to do: study for exams, complete homework assignments, go to sports practices, pick up supplies for a class project, make something for a bake sale fundraiser, and the list goes on. It is not fun when you have that nagging feeling you’re forgetting something critical and worse, the feeling of panic when you get to school and realize exactly what it was you forgot.

With the many things you’re juggling, you know you need to plan ahead to successfully prepare for your school work (check out our previous post on taming assignment anxiety), and pay attention to get-started dates, not only the turn-it-in dates, and make time for everything else in your busy life of course.

Luckily, it’s never been easier to manage your time and stay on top of your school, extra-curricular and social activities. You might already keep track of your deadlines and tasks with an old-school paper planner. If your system is working for you, keep it up. If, like most people, you bring your phone everywhere, but not your planner, then check out the apps below. They each have their own particular strong points and all are free, easy-to-use, and work across different devices. These digital time-management apps make it easy to remember everything you need to do no matter where you are, so you never forget an important assignment or task again.

MyStudyLife

MyStudyLife was built specifically for students. The app enables you to keep track of everything you need in one place: your schedule, homework, exams, and even non-school related events and tasks. You can set reminders for upcoming exams, create schoolwork to-do lists, and set your daily or weekly timetables. Best of all, the app stores your data in the cloud and you can even access all your info offline.

Wunderlist

Wunderlist is simple and beautiful app that you can access from anywhere — your phone, tablet, computer, and even your fancy smartwatch. The app allows you to make simple checklists, add reminders for deadlines, and even share lists, so you can collaborate with classmates on projects. You can create separate lists for different kinds of tasks and organize lists into folders. For example, you can make a “School” folder with “Homework” and “Project Materials” lists, and a “Personal” folder with lists like, “Halloween Party Planning” and “Chores.”

Google Calendar

Despite being a Google product (obviously), Google Calendar works across platforms, including on Apple and Windows devices. G Cal enables you to keep track of all your recurring and one-off events and appointments in a single place. Even better, the app allows to easily coordinate plans with other people. When you create an event, you can add a specific meeting location, add notes about the event, and invite guests. The app sends a notification 10 minutes before the event start time as a reminder. Beyond tracking events, you can also use Calendar to set reminders for specific tasks.

iOS Calendar

Apple’s calendar is another great option for students, especially if you are a fan of Apple’s simple and intuitive design aesthetic. The app has many of the same features as Google Calendar: You can keep track of events, set reminders, and share your schedule with others. You can easily see everything that’s upcoming on your itinerary by setting the app to List mode. In the app’s Day mode, adding an event is as simple as a tap of the finger (or a click of the mouse). And of course, it is automatically synced with your other devices.

 

Time management? You’ve got it solved! With device and finger, or paper and pen, you can track, plan and check off when done, all the important tasks in your life. Do you have a favorite way to keep on top of your to-do list? Tell us about it!

Book Pick: “The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy”

An ongoing series where we showcase recommendations from our teachers. Here’s one from our awesome English teacher Noël Young for a fun Young Adult book you wouldn’t want to miss!

When the reality show For Arts Sake starts filming at Selwyn Art Academy, Ethan Andrezejczak and his friends become determined to take a stand. Although the rebellion is not his idea, Ethan follows along with his best friend’s passionate protest of the show and quickly becomes entangled in a web of corruption and scandal. It is refreshing to read a book that tells a meaningful story in a fun way that never feels too heavy or philosophical. The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer. This book is one you will definitely want to check out.

 

 

Here are a few reasons why.

It is not your typical dystopian YA novel.

This is not a flashy, doomsday story. Instead, it is a story grounded in real experiences that we can all relate to, but with a funny, quirky spin. The narrator’s sarcastic humor reveals insights into insecurities, fears, and hopes that we can all relate to. While there are no explosions or terrifying supernatural creatures, there is betrayal, a dash of romance, and lots of ridiculous situations. There is also a quiet suspense that will keep you engaged until the end of the story. In the words of our narrator Ethan, “Remember: this is not a novel, not a memoir, not produced by anyone with artistic skill. It’s just about what happened last year. It’s about reality TV, a desperate crush on a ballerina, and a heroic gerbil named Baconnaise. But mostly, it’s about my friends. Please remember: not art, just life.”

It gets teens.

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy is Kate Hattemer’s debut novel. When asked about her inspiration for writing this book, she says, “My students and siblings were all so funny, so hyperverbal and intelligent, so deeply concerned about the world and their place in it, that I wanted to write for and about them.” As a high school teacher, Hattemer understands and appreciates the voices and experiences of teens: “Even when they’re bored, teenagers are interesting: they’re aggressively bored, they can’t believe that such a travesty as a 50-minute Latin class is being visited upon them. All this turmoil makes for good fiction.”

It is funny and charming.

One of my favorite things about reading this book is that it made me smile, a lot. Ethan and his friends are funny. They joke and come up with absurd ideas. But mainly, they are relatable. The socially awkward Ethan, the ultra cool Luke, and the beautiful, seemingly flawless Maura are all people we might encounter in our own lives. And just as in real life, there is more to each of them. They make mistakes as they struggle to figure things out. You might even cringe as you read some of the situations Ethan gets himself into (such as the time he finds himself stuck in a locker while his crush stands right in front flirting with some guy!). But, it is all part of the story’s charm and you will want to be right there with them as they experience loss, heartbreak, and joy.

It is hard to put down.

I originally chose this book because I liked the turquoise and yellow on the cover. I started reading casually, not too focused, but soon realized I was well on my way to finishing the first chapter. I was hooked. The beginning of the story is intriguing and unusual, which will make you want to continue reading, and like me, you’ll have a tough time putting it down.

Want more reasons? I’m not alone in liking it so much. It was named a best book of the year by the American Library Association, Kirkus, and the LA Public Library (you can read more about it here). As a bonus, if you choose it for your independent reading assignment, you might impress your teacher by reading a book that uses poetry as a means to rebel!

Go ahead and give The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy  a try – and let us know how you liked it!

5 Tips to Tame Assignment Anxiety

With the new year comes new year resolutions. Now’s a good time to get better at scheduling so you no longer pull all-nighters to cram for a test or rely on a steady stream of energy drinks to stay awake as you write your history papers.

Managing your time and staying on top of deadlines is a valuable skill that you’ll need throughout high school, college, your professional career – as well as in planning trips, weddings, birthday parties, in fact, life in general!

There’s no magic or superior powers needed. Just a few common sense tips to tame assignment anxiety.

Own it

No one else can make you study efficiently, or study at all.  Your parents and teachers can give you suggestions and support — they may even nag and bribe you. But, at the end of the day, successfully completing assignments on time is your responsibility. So, take ownership of those responsibilities and your schedule to get them done. This is the first, and most critical, step.

Define dates

It’s probably obvious that you should write down your due dates somewhere you can remember and see easily. But here’s an even hotter tip: If the “real” due date is Monday morning, set your due date for Sunday.

Instead of only writing down the day you need to turn in the assignment, start to note when you need to have the work done by. For some, that could be the day before. For others who like getting things over with and done early, you could set your deadline for several days before the “real” due date.  

Work backwards

Your project isn’t going to magically complete itself. If it’s a paper you have to write, there may be research to do or a first draft to submit for revision. If it’s another kind of project, you may need to create some multimedia. There’s a lot to get done before your due date.

You know yourself, what you’re good at, where you need help, and how long it takes you to get things done. Think of it as “managing effort” and not just “managing time” — you know how much effort you have to put in and when you would be able to do it. So plug in those dates working backwards from your due date.

Don’t put in a date that you wish would work, but one that will work for you — be realistic! Work with your schedule, your pace, and your needs.

Schedule helpers

Sure, you’ve got your deadlines and schedule figured out. But what about the people you have to work with? If you have a group project, your grade depends on how well your group members can manage their time, too.

Look carefully at the assignment when it’s handed to you and consider what you’ll need to do to complete it. Need to have your study group over to work together? Go ahead and schedule it. Reach out to your group members to set a time in advance. It may seem like a lot, but it pays off when you don’t have to scramble for time between other commitments.

As a related side note: Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Scheduling time to talk to your teacher, or other students who are doing well in the class, is a great thing to do for yourself. Those around you will be glad that you asked, and you’ll be taking ownership of your work by speaking up for yourself.

Pick just one

Everything on your schedule should be in one place.  School, social, personal, and community commitments—write them all on one calendar so you can see what you need to do and how much time you really have available.

There are many apps available for your phone or tablet for scheduling and tracking homework. (This article is a good place to start to learn more about various time management apps.)

But if your school doesn’t let you use your phone in class, and you find yourself writing notes that you have to put in your calendar app later, you might want to rethink the system. Anything that has two steps and can be easily forgotten is a recipe for failure – trust us, we know this from painful experience!

Pick a calendar that you can use wherever you are. It could be a planner, an app, a spreadsheet that you create, or monthly calendar that you print out and put in a three-ring binder. Also, find a format that works for you. You may need one big monthly calendar, or several daily or weekly ones. The “bullet journal” is one option that uses both a monthly and a daily calendar. Just pick one that you like!

You got this!

Managing your effort with a focus on getting your work done on time is the key to school success. Once you start using a single calendar that works for you, setting your own due dates, and scheduling the time you need to work with others, you’ll be able to finish your assignments on time and stress-free – at least, with less stress (you’d probably still stress about the grades!).

Remember, you’re in control of your assignments, not the other way about. So take charge and make it work for you, you’re the boss!

Have your own nifty tips to share? We’d love to hear them!

New Year Resolution: Learn Something Different

Where’s the rule that says New Year’s resolutions have to be make before or on New Year’s day? For the procrastinators everywhere we’ve updated this post for 2017 and are delighted to share again as it is about our favorite activity – learning!

Let’s start with the fact that you do not need to make a single New Year resolution – it is entirely optional. You can decide to make changes at any time of the year, of course. But there’s something to be said for joining the (very large) crowd that starts the new year with a burst of optimism and self-improvement fervor. It doesn’t hurt to know that there are tons of people on a similar mission who can give you tips and moral support when you falter.

You may be aiming for changes along the lines of getting healthier, working out more, eating better, getting more sleep, studying harder and getting your work done on time. All good goals. We at Meemli would like to suggest you make a conscious effort to put a resolution to learn something in the mix. It’s not just for when you’re at school, and not just for students. It’s for everyone, at any age and at any stage in their lives.

 

Why learning? Because learning is a part of being alive.

Learning is an activity that has a huge ripple effect in your life. It invigorates your brain, energizes your spirit, broadens your worldview, deepens your empathy, reduces boredom, boosts confidence, even makes you more interesting and fun. It is not just memorizing facts, it is understanding and experiencing our universe. Einstein knew what he was talking about.

 

 

 

Need some help figuring out what to learn? Here are four approaches to get the ideas flowing!

 

Diversify

How much do we know of people who are different from us, of languages and cultures that are not our own, of towns and regions that we have not lived in? Very few of us get to visit a foreign country and live there for months at a time, which is undoubtedly a really good way to get to know how people live in other parts of the world. But, one of the amazing benefits of technology today is that the world is literally at our fingertips.

Pick a place that you’re really interested in (and hope to visit?) and resolve to learn more about it. How about learning a few phrases in the native language? Or reading books written by native authors, or watching a movie or YouTube music video in that language? Or trying to cook a favorite local dish? You can do all this and more, no passport needed.

Getting to know about other people, other cultures, gives us a better understanding for who they are and a better appreciation of who we are ourselves. If enough of us do this, world peace may not be an impossible dream after all.

Expand

Are you the person who feels you’ve found what you like and you’re not interested in trying anything else? Congratulations! It is great that you’ve found the awesome hobby, activity, interest that you like – and, presumably, are pretty good at too.

But here’s a radical idea: learn about something very different. What you already know and like will always be there for you, but maybe there’s something else that can grab your attention. Planning to be an art history major? Take a class on web design just to shake up your view of what looks pleasing. If rock music is your thing, maybe a foray into appreciating the classical kind would make rock all the more exciting.

Get out of your comfort zone and explore. At a minimum, expanding your horizons will make your comfort zone a little roomier!

Dig

Alright, now for the exact opposite of the previous one – dig deeper into something you already know a little bit and like a lot. A deep dive will show you how much you really like it.

Enjoy doodling? Take an art class and learn to draw for real. Love stargazing? Take a crack at astronomy and get to know the details of your night sky. Take a chance and immerse yourself in learning more about something you like. It may very well be the first step at becoming an expert at it. Being really knowledgeable about something you care about is cool.

Make

Many of us do not have the opportunity to make things as part of our jobs. And students who are past the felt-and-glue creations of kindergarten, have few chances to learn how to make things as options like woodworking are hard to come by in most schools.

So make it your goal to learn how to make something. Something tangible. Something you make with your hands, and tools, if needed. It could be knitting a sweater or throwing a clay pot or building a stool, or even a robot. Whatever it turns out to be, there’s something very satisfying about learning how to make something and seeing it take shape.

Looking for tips on what and how to learn in small doses? Check out these resources that can help you get you started.

Go ahead and make a learning resolution – we bet you won’t regret it. And let us know how it worked for you – we’ll cheer you on!