Counselor Corner
La Vernia High School 12/01/21
December Dates
12/7-10 EOC's
12/15 Hearts & Crafts Event: Slime (counseling office 4:00 pm)
12/14-18 Final Exams
12/20 Christmas Break Begins
Forbes Time Management Tips From Straight "A" Students
Secret #1: Limit Social Media Use
The topic that most frequently came up was the lure of social media. Almost everyone mentioned the siren call of Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Most of the students I interviewed mentioned that they use “access blocking” apps or browser plug-ins to literally turn-off access to distracting sites. The ones most frequently mentioned were SelfControl and StayFocused.
Caitlin Hale was a 4.0 student in high school and now attends medical school:
Staying focused on schoolwork can be a pretty daunting task, especially with all of the social media apps pinging in the background. I use an app called SelfControl, which lets me set the amount of time and specifically which apps I want to avoid—including Facebook and Instagram.
Secret #2: Use a Calendar
There is the old saying, plan your work, then work your plan—and straight-A students plan with a calendar, not a to-do list. This theme was consistent with what I discovered from almost all of the ultra-productive people I interviewed.
Jacqueline Kopicki color codes her different obligations:
I put everything in my calendar on my phone, and I color code my activities and appointments. For example, I will code athletics one color, the school musical practices another color and my assignments another color.
Secret #3: The Power of Priorities
I discovered that high achieving students were very conscious of the limited number of minutes in each day, and also very astute in that they knew not all assignments are weighted the same. Investing more time into a high-value assignments, and working on what was due sooner were keys to their success.
Nihar Suthar, an undergrad at Cornell University, stresses putting school work first.
Prioritize! I always prioritize the most important tasks that I have to get done for the day. The first on the list for me is always schoolwork, then writing (I write books), any athletic practices, and then hanging out with friends.
While there is no single path to excelling at academics, limiting social media, setting proper priorities and using a calendar is advice that can increase anyone’s level of productivity and success.
Scholarship Spotlight: 23 Scholarships to Apply For Before the End of December
The year may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean your student’s scholarship search has to! While we certainly believe students should take time during their winter break to rest and enjoy holiday celebrations with family and friends, we also know it’s a great time to knock out some last minute applications for scholarships.
Here is a list of 23 scholarships to apply for this December. Some deadlines are as late as December 31st! Either way, these next few weeks are major deadline weeks so you don’t want to miss out!
Use the link below to view scholarships, deadlines, and requirements.
Mental Health Spotlight: Suicide Awareness Video
Schoolinks (Replacing Xello)
Schoolinks is a modern College & Career Readiness Platform. Student, parents, counselors and teachers will be able to utilize all of the resources available in Schoolinks to:
- Communicate and schedule meetings with your counselors
- Choose high school endorsements and graduation plans
- Curate and track volunteer hours, awards, test scores & certificates
- Choose and submit high school courses
- Research college entrance requirements
- Research career school and certification requirements
- Apply to colleges and request letters of recommendations
- Order transcripts
- Remain a part of LVHS Alumnae communications
The easiest way for students and teachers to access Schoolinks is through the LVISD Digital Den: https://www.lvisd.org/Page/3446