Friday, May 28, 2010

Almost Summer

Even though I am far from being of the “in school” age, I can still sense the joy and anticipation that waft through the air as kids from around the city get ready to finish school and be unleashed into summer.

Growing up, some of my favorite memories were from the warm summertime months. My parents were both working full-time, so my brother and I were encouraged to fill our days with whatever activity we wanted – so as long as whatever we chose had nothing to do with the television.

Over the years, I spent weeks backpacking with youth groups, biking, rock climbing, attending to East Bay School of the Arts (an art, sport, music, drama, and circus camp), swimming, participating in the library book club, traveling, tutoring, and babysitting. Every summer I got to do a different combination of activities that I wouldn’t otherwise get to explore during the school year – which I certainly enjoyed, but whose true value I didn’t get to fully appreciate until many years later.

Now, as an adult who (like my parents) works full-time, I look back at the summer activities of my youth and would like to thank my mom and dad for allowing me to “try out” my budding interests and pursue whichever ones I found particularly enjoyable. These days, those experiences seem not so much about the actual activity, but more about discovering my strengths, weaknesses, passions, and eclectic knack for certain things (I’m great at juggling, who would have known?)

Certainly, self-awareness often grows with age and maturity, much it nurtured with private SAT tutoring. But confidence in one’s sense of self, I’ve come to believe (and while derived from many factors) is largely dependent on experiencing and mastering new things, and learning that no matter what it is (woodcarving or hiking twenty miles with sixty pounds on your back), you will undoubtedly survive – and even more so – find yourself having become a stronger version of yourself because of it.

So parents, as you witness your kids bursting forth from the school exit bubbling with energy for the summer, remember that just because school is out, it doesn’t mean that the best time to learn is over for the year. In fact, it might have just begun…

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

3 Tips to Collegiate Success

I did it! I made it through the all nighters, countless pages of reading, wordy essays, SAT tutoring sessions, and finally graduated from college! In case my word wasn’t enough, I have provided visual confirmation in order to solidify my credibility. Yes, that is me, beaming with joy and basking in my 30 seconds of graduation fame on the big screen.
As a recent college graduate, I feel it is my duty to pass on some personal words of wisdom. The following are my 3 tips to collegiate success:

Go to Class

Upon entering college, I had the preconceived notions that class was optional, that no one truly checked up on you, and that if you did the reading on your own and showed up for the tests, you would have no problem succeeding. Thankfully, I had many wise people at my university advise me that this was not the case. Whether it’s a class of 400 or a class of 20, showing up matters. At LMU every class caps enrollment at 28 students...meaning attendance sign-in sheets and a lot of room for participation...sort of like high school. I soon realized that by coming to class on time, paying attention, and actively participating, I was setting myself up to succeed in college.

Sit in the Front

With the highly anticipated end of grade school seating charts, it may seem like the last place anyone would choose to sit is in the front of the classroom. However, little do most college students know, the front rows are prime classroom real estate. Not only does being close to the professor help you focus and concentrate, it also helps the professor connect with you. One of my professors told me that students tend to blur together beyond the second row, creating forgettable, faceless individuals, and being forgettable in college is no way to excel. So, stand out from the crowd, sit up front, and enjoy the high achievement that follows!!!

Introduce yourself to the Professor

The relationships you form with your professors in college are some of the most important and beneficial tools you can use to succeed. On the first day of every class, I walked up to introduce myself, extended my hand, and stated my name along with a well thought out question or comment that would make me a little more memorable than my peers. This showed my professors that I was excited about their class and the semester to come. What teacher doesn’t want to hear that from a student? Beyond the early introduction, I maintained these relationships by visiting professors during their allotted office hours to go over assignments, upcoming tests, class materials, or simply just to check in. Forming a solid relationship with a college professor is the gift that keeps on giving. For example, you will not only encounter a number of professors multiple times throughout your time in school, but you will also most likely be reaching out to these professors as you continue to develop professionally.

At our recent Speaker Series, Tim Urban reinforced these methods for success.



It is easy to see how these tips are applicable at nearly every level of the educational process. Therefore, I encourage all students to heed this advice and use it to take full advantage of their time in school because these truly are some of the best years of your life!!

Friday, May 14, 2010

From Z’s to A’s

There I was, sitting in class, front row center, pretending to listen to my teacher’s analysis of a Marcel Proust passage. Every minute that passed felt like an hour, and with every blink, it became harder to reopen my eyes; the same could be said in my SAT tutoring sessions... I could hear my teacher speaking, but eventually the sounds became indistinguishable. I stared at her, fighting the desire to shut my fluttering eyelids, until her image was just a blur. I wanted nothing more than to lay my heavy head on the desk and sleep. I was a typical sleep-deprived teenager.

A common misconception is that kids require less sleep as they get older. In truth, as they move through their teenage years and undergo a number of physiological changes, adolescents require an increasing amount of sleep. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t getting the nine recommended hours and end up as I did—struggling to stay awake. A study conducted at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement revealed that 20% of all high school students fall asleep in school. And that’s not the worst of it. Sleep-deprived teens are prone to a laundry list of mental and physical symptoms that can have a serious impact on their academic performance. Sleep debt can lead to memory deficits, delayed responses, and a decreased ability to concentrate and be creative, not to mention irritability, anxiety and even depression. Yikes! High school is hard enough without having to deal with all of this. Solution: more sleep.

I know it’s not easy to adjust your sleep schedule, especially when you’re juggling school, homework, extracurricular activities, and a social life, but getting enough snooze time is essential to keeping your academic performance at its peak. You can’t get A’s if you don’t get your Z’s!

Here are a few suggestions from the experts on how to get the most of your slumber
  • Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Unfortunately, sleeping in on weekends does not allow you to fully recover from the sleep debt you’ve acquired throughout the week.
  • Adopt a relaxing routine to unwind from the activities of your day. Try meditating or taking a hot bath.
  • Avoid stimulants at bedtime that can delay the onset of sleep like violent or scary movies/books.
  • Steer clear of caffeine in the afternoon and evening.
  • Exercise regularly. This will energize you during the day and help you sleep at night.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Stressed Out?

I recently received a call from a friend who was extremely overwhelmed – with life. Despite her yoga practice, nutritious eating, supportive friends, and general success, she was drowning because she had too much to do. Her body ached, she couldn’t sleep, and all she wanted to do was cry. She was unmotivated and frustrated by her inability to prioritize.

My friend is an M.D. / Ph.D. student who happens to be one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever known. She has the tools she needs to succeed, and despite her superior intelligence, things have not come easy for her in life. She has fought for her success every step of the way, and she has built a village of supporters along her path. She is amazing, and I’m not the only person who knows this. It was shocking to hear her sound so defeated. Then it hit me…if she doesn’t know how to prioritize, she wouldn’t have gotten this far … so what’s going on?

Sometimes, when we have too much to do, our responsibilities overwhelm our resources, and we feel paralyzed. The threshold for stress varies from person to person, and even the most capable and functional person can hit a wall. For many of us, stress can overtake our bodies and manifest as bodily aches, pains, and eventually illness. In college, I would get sick immediately after my final exams. It eventually became a routine – the moment my body was able to relax, I would get ill with a cold. Stress can weaken us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Everyone experiences stress – whether as a student, parent, employee, child, friend, etc. – so the question becomes how to deal with it when it’s so overwhelming that we feel helpless.

The following strategies can help you manage your stress:

Gain Perspective
Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t worry, no CEO is asked what his/her grades were in high school?” This statement is offered from a wise person who is trying to help you gain perspective; however, the sage might not be going about it in the right manner. While it’s true that you won’t wear your grades on your lapel like a scarlet letter someday, it doesn’t take away the fact that your grades may currently feel like the most important thing on your mind. This is where VALIDATION and REFLECTION come into place. First, you need to accept that feeling stressed out is completely normal and valid, and that we all go through it. Then, reflect on how you have gotten yourself through similar situations in the past and ask yourself:

1. What is the worst case scenario if I don’t do as well as I expect on this (exam, presentation, etc)?

2. How did I do last year? If the outcome was negative, is there anything I could have done differently so that a similar outcome doesn’t happen again this year?

When all else fails, take the time to participate in an activity like volunteering to be a private SAT tutor, reminding you of the things that are most important to you in your life. For me, it’s my health, happiness, family, and friends. I feel that volunteering at a local shelter, food pantry, or even a dog pound gives me a good dose of reality and perspective whenever I need to be reminded that what I’m feeling is temporary and that regardless of my performance on a stressful task, I should feel thankful that I have a roof over my head.

Set Goals
If you want to achieve something, start by writing it down. Write down the things you want to accomplish in the short and long-term. Writing down goals helps turn subjective ideas into objective realities that you can schedule and accomplish with a plan. Large goals can be broken down into smaller parts, such as: Goal: get an A in Biology. Steps to achieve this goal: find out what I have in the class right now and prepare for my final exam. Steps to prepare for final exam: organize notebook, ask teacher for study guide, schedule study group with peers, etc.

Create a Schedule
Once you have listed your goals and the steps you will take to achieve them, you should estimate how long each task will take and set deadlines.

For example, when I have a list of things I need to do, I did the following:

1. Estimate how long each task will take (ex. Grocery shopping – 1 hour, gym – 1.5 hours, read book for book club – 2 hours, clean house – 2 hours, etc.)

2. Schedule these tasks in your calendar and work backwards (ex. I know I want to be done with everything by 3 p.m. today, therefore I’ll clean house from 1-3 p.m., read from 11-1 p.m., go to the gym from 9:30-11 a.m., and go grocery shopping at 8:00 a.m.!)

From 3 p.m. on I would schedule “Free Time.” It’s important to schedule free time if you want to be highly effective, otherwise, you may feel guilty for sitting around. When people feel like they always have something they should be doing, they don’t let themselves relax. When people have scheduled the things they need to do, they can experience freedom in between their scheduled tasks. I look forward to every time block on my calendar that says, “Relax, Dinner with Friend, Free Time, etc.!”

Be Accountable
After my friend agreed to create a schedule, I told her that I’m happy if she wants to share it with me by inviting me to see her Google calendar. I find that when I’m accountable to others, I’m more likely to do what I said I was going to do. For example, if I have gotten into the routine of meeting a friend at the gym every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., then I’m likely to show up. However, if I don’t schedule to meet a friend, I’m able to rationalize my way out of my desire to exercise since the only person I need to notify of my cancellation is me! Tell others about your plans and ask them to help you stick to your schedule.

Believe in Yourself & Ask for Help When You Need It!
Even an M.D./Ph.D student needs to ask for help sometimes. Whether you need someone to remind you of your capabilities or help you come up with a study routine, don’t feel embarrassed to reach out. My role in educational services is to help students learn to manage their time so that they can perform in school to the best of their abilities. Whether you need the support of a professional or just a friend, know that there is always someone who is just a phone call away to help you prioritize and succeed.