Need Help? Here’s Some Advice! 

Thumbnail Credit: The Philadelphia Tribune

Middle school may be one of the most stressful, difficult, and confusing times in a young person’s life. If I could go back in time a few years and truly take advice from some of my older peers, especially to questions I had, I would in an instant. Thus, here are the top five questions that were asked by Alsion middle schoolers, and my answers based on my personal experience. 

By: Armaan Sharma

1. Q: Which is more important, homework or extracurriculars?
   1. A: There is no straightforward answer to this question, but in essence, colleges and universities look at your grades and course rigor first. Therefore, in terms of college admissions, it is probably best to ensure that you succeed in your schoolwork to the best of your abilities, making homework and academic success a priority. Academics, however, are only a part of the college admissions process and are definitely not the only aspects that prestigious internships or summer programs are looking for. In fact, more than half of all the internships or programs that I have applied to did not ask for a transcript, but instead a resume and cover letter. This means that striking a balance between schoolwork and engaging in meaningful extracurriculars (and ensuring that you are maximizing your impact in each one of these activities) is the ideal scenario. Extracurriculars tend to provide real life experiences that are often equally as important, or in some cases more important, than success in narrow school subjects. 
2. Q: How do I combat procrastination?
   1. A: This is a hard question for me to answer because I do not know anyone who procrastinates tasks as much as I do. I will say, however, that my time management and pacing have improved significantly when I started using the calendar on my phone in tandem with a checklist on the notes app. When you have a lot of extracurriculars and schoolwork to balance, making sure to have your priorities written down somewhere helps you accomplish the most important tasks first before moving on to the next. 
3. Q: How do you study effectively for exams in one night?
   1. A: Again, as someone who procrastinates, cramming for exams is only effective for me when I have good notes to study with. When you take good notes in class or directly after when everything is fresh in your mind, as well as making sure to highlight or star the most important concepts, it is easy to just scan through your notes and a few example questions the night before. This was usually how I studied for my chemistry tests this semester and it proved quite effective for me. 
4. Q: How do you find internship and work opportunities?
   1. A: CONNECTIONS! This question was one that I had constantly throughout middle school and my freshman year of high school. I would research on google for hours, but nothing that seemed of interest to me/I was eligible for was available. Learning how to leverage your connections with people such as your coaches or advisors for extracurriculars has proven to be the most effective way to land such opportunities. For example, I landed a clerkship opportunity at a legal aid agency through my participation as a youth member of Team Stronger Than You Think (STYT), a youth group part of Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments (SAVE). 
5. Q: How do you maintain a work-life balance?
   1. A: I am a very social person, so maintaining a work-life balance is extremely important to me. Over this past summer, I have learned that by scheduling in “hangouts,” etc, on my calendar where I put all of my meetings, classes, or activities, I am more likely to follow through with my plans and ensure that I do not double book myself. Insofar as having a social life is equally if not more important than schoolwork or involvement in extracurriculars, I would recommend doing the same as you would with your daily tasks and “penciling it in.”