For many students, the thought of leading a conference can be scary, especially if they’re not doing well as they’d like in a particular class or even worse, many classes. Keep in mind, though, these conferences aren’t just about showing off perfect grades; they’re about being honest and putting an idea in your head on how you’re going to improve. Even if you’re struggling, taking responsibility and showing that you care to improve and make yourself better can leave a positive impression on both your teachers and your parents. That’s because the whole entire conference was there just to make sure you take responsibility for your learning, or if you already are, to continue to do so. Here are some tips from some fellow classmates at FWPA.
According to Juan Tobar’s family, he is an example of a responsible, hardworking student. Balancing school and extracurricular activities is not an easy job, but Juan has found ways to stay focused in school and ready outside of school. “I used to struggle with managing my time, especially when I had soccer practice and Spanish club after school. Since I’m the vice president, I have to do a lot of work,” Juan explained, “But I started setting a schedule using a website called notion, it’s really amazing and convenient and easy, it helped me a lot.” Essa Gaye also understands the challenges of staying focused in school without rest. “There were times when I felt overwhelmed by assignments, and I just wanted to give up and stop right then and there,” Essa admitted, “but I realized that taking breaks and giving myself time to breathe actually helped me focus more in school and further gain more knowledge. Instead of doing my work at the last minute, I started doing my homework right after I prayed and ate my food. This allowed me to get more sleep and stay focused during class.” Essa shows us that taking a break and not procrastinating can really help you with your classes.
Another tip is not just digesting information but understanding it; for example, if you know what the quadratic formula is but you don’t know how to plug it into your calculator, it’s basically useless. “I used to cram the night before tests, and it obviously never really worked,” Lilliana Ordonez admitted. “Now, I review my notes over a specific time period, like five days before the test starts, and I actually remember more things and get better scores.”
