Chill Out Charlie

Friendships.  Social media. Romance.  School. Family. So many pressure points and so little relief.  Witherly Heights’s in-house counselor, Charlie, has all the answers to slow that heart rate, calm those nerves and temper those anxieties.  Every month, “Charlie” will be a different columnist–he or she could be a teacher, middle schooler or high school student–but, rest assured, Charlie will always have your back.  Write Charlie about anything under the sun at chilloutcharlie750@gmail.com

Dear Charlie,

I’m an eleventh grade student and have recently had trouble thinking about college majors. Everyone around me says to choose something that will give me the most career opportunities and financial success. But what if I have a passion for something risky—that may or may not work out? Should career opportunities be the only deciding factor of your future career or should I follow my heart?

Please help,

CAREENING FROM CAREER TO HEART

Dear CAREENING,

College majors are scary but it’s important to know that they can change, especially when you’re only in 11th grade. I think if you’re passionate about something, you should definitely try to study it and make a career out of it. What’s the point of doing something you hate? It’s also important to know that a college major does not always dictate the career you will get, especially right out of college. There are also options to double major or major and minor so that way you can study something with more stability but also study what you’re passionate about. But regardless, just remember that you can always change your mind and your passions, you’re not stuck with one thing forever.

Dear Charlie,

I am extremely overwhelmed with homework, extracurriculars, and just the pressure of junior year. The fact that it is only the third week of school and I am already so stressed out is kind of scary because it will only get more intense from here. What are the best ways to help relieve stress, especially about homework?

Sincerely,

OVERWHELMED AND STRESSED

Dear OVERWHELMED,

I’m going to be honest: junior year is really tough but it’s important to know your limitations and your coping mechanisms. It might sound cliched, but movement and exercise is always useful. If you’re feeling incredibly stressed out and you can’t focus, going to the gym, walking, stretching etc. are all useful. Fresh air is also really good for your mind and your body and can help with stress. Make sure you’re not overloading yourself. If you find yourself stressed out all the time, it’s time to step back and see if there’s anything you can take a break from. Also make sure to look at your time management. There are little pockets of time like when you’re sitting in the car or waiting for class to start where you can get smaller tasks done. I’ve also found out that talking to your friends and unplugging from the world and only being surrounded by your loved ones can help you relax for a little bit. And remember, you grow and learn to manage. It won’t always feel so overwhelming. Good luck!

Dear Charlie,

Recently I have come to the realization that I am getting closer to my senior year of high school, meaning I only have a small number of years left to plan for college. My question is, how can I begin preparing for college and the SATs now?

SCARED BY THE FUTURE

Dear SCARED,

Part of preparing for college is knowing what you want. What do you look for in a place of education? Once you start answering that question, you’ll start to have more direction in your life. As for preparing for college through school and SATs, just focus on getting good grades. That’s vital for the college application process. It’s also important to try out different tests. For some people (like myself), the ACT was easier than the SAT. Knowing that will also help you in this process. 10th graders take the PSAT and 11th graders are usually in the middle of test prep. Depending on those scores, you can decide what kind of test books to buy or program to do. The SAT has free test prep, but it requires motivation. It’s a process and it goes by one step at a time, remember that. Hopefully everything works out!

Dear Charlie,

Ever since arriving at the Early College, it has been a struggle to keep up with the required reading for AP literature. How can you stay ahead of reading without losing focus on the current book you are studying in class?

GOING APE OVER AP

Dear GOING APE,

AP literature is very fast paced, especially compared to the middle school. It’s important to stay on top of the reading and that means starting early. Be aware of how long it usually takes you to read a book, are you super fast or meticulous and slow? Depending on that you’ll learn when to start the book. I recommend, at the very least, one week. If it’s a denser book, give yourself more time. One tip for remembering what happens is marking up the book and taking notes. If I found myself getting chapters and storylines mixed up, I would write a little summary for a chunk of pages on a sticky note and put it in the book. That way right before a quiz I had notes I could review. It can feel confusing and overwhelming at first, but it definitely gets a little easier as you learn different methods of active reading and notetaking that work for you.

Dear Charlie,

Do you have any tips for remembering textbook content? I often find myself forgetting everything I read, even if I try to highlight important information.

Thanks,

FORGET FULL

Dear FORGET FULL,

Marking up is KEY! This means more than just highlighting. It includes circling things that are important or jotting down your thoughts as you are reading. The more you’re actively reading, the more you will remember stuff. Active reading looks different for everyone but it can be marking up, taking notes, or quizzing yourself on content you just read. It may also be helpful to read aloud, especially when the content is confusing. Remember to take breaks and move around to get blood flowing if you’re reading a textbook for long periods of time. It can get tiring and you will start to mindlessly read, which will do nothing for your memory or ability to retain content.

“Charlie” for this month is Ananya Hindocha, a senior and one of Witherly Heights’s editors-in- chief.