|
|
|
|
Sign up for
more great advice on: |
| | |
|
| |
 | |
|
|
 |
Counselor's Corner |
|
How often have you had someone say to you, "Stop and smell the roses."
And have you ever thought, "What exactly does that mean?"
Many times I have to remind myself of that cliché, because just like you,
I can cram my day with work and activities 24/7.
My counselees at school and my private clients frequently tell me, enthusiastically of course,
about all that they do within a 24-hour period. I must admit that sometimes,
I get exhausted just listening to their life experiences. In most cases, it's a lot!
Sometimes I have to ask, "So when do you study?" Unfortunately, many times I am asking, "When do you sleep?"
In order to stop this continuous "Energizer Bunny" drama, you need to take a break.
If you don't, annoying medical symptoms such as, headaches, nausea, chest pains,
and emotional distress could affect your health.
In order to maintain good mental and physical health, we all need to take a break from our busy lives.
Be proactive and take care of your body, because it is the only one you will get.
If you feel like your life is spiraling out of control,
or maybe it's more simplistic and you just need to talk to someone,
immediately seek the assistance of your school counselor and/or your parents.
Remember, the next time you feel overwhelmed, stop and smell the roses.
Your body wants you to take a break, so be kind to yourself.
We have some additional excellent advice about reading over the summer, including this piece:
Are you tired of the question, "Have you read a book, or anything today?"
Do you feel like your parents, and other adults, are nagging you to death about your lack of desire to read?
Surely friends don't pose such an absurd question to you, right?
To approach this question differently, you need to "think outside the box."
Perhaps you should consider that reading might be a necessity for daily functioning;
just like eating food, getting sufficient sleep, and managing your personal hygiene.
Actually, reading offers many bonuses for you that can promote a healthy brain,
stimulate intellectual curiosity, deliver effective communication skills, foster social interactions,
and to make it more pertinent to your immediate needs…enhance your SAT and ACT reading scores and your performance
in your senior English class. People, young and old, are concerned about healthy living.
There is a correlation; if you are wondering, "What does this have to do with reading?",
developing a reading routine while you are young, encourages you to continue it into later adulthood,
which keeps your brain cells growing, your memory sharp,
and your cognitive ability functioning at a satisfactory level. The more you read and learn,
the more curious you become about facts and get introduced to new words.
This helps to increase your vocabulary. You project intellectual talent to your peers, instructors, and colleagues.
A popular social gathering among teens and adults is a book club.
It's a great opportunity to meet new friends and share common interests.
The unfortunate saga is that not enough students enjoy reading and they will not read without being forced.
If reading is a daily ritual for you, CONGRATULATIONS and keep up the good work!
If not, try to make an effort to start reading, something, daily. It doesn't have to consume your entire day.
It can be a couple of paragraphs or a short article,
and perhaps it's better to start with a publication that interests you.
The sky is the limit with books, magazines, newspapers, and Internet articles on sports,
fiction/nonfiction, politics, religion, health, cars, careers, colleges, fashion,
and countless other subjects. You probably have a summer reading list to complete before school begins,
so if you haven't started, it's time to do so. Think of all the benefits that
a small change in your life, reading, could make for your future.
You should notice some improvement in your critical reading skills for the SAT,
as well as increased performance in your senior English class.
The views expressed herein are those of their authors alone, and do not necessarily represent the views of Hundreds of Heads or of IECA.
|
| |
|
ANY EDGE IS GOOD NOWADAYS, but don't make yourself miserable.
I took time off during my summers, and I don't regret it.
I just loaded up on my college résumé activities during the year.
Do what feels right during your summers.
-- MARTIN
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
|
|
|
Go for a bike ride! Check out the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy site for easy bike paths in your area:
www.railtrails.org/index.html
|
|
|
|
| Remember:
To make sure you continue to receive
Heads
Up! Get Into College e-mails in your inbox (and that
they aren't sent to junk folders), please add
college@hundredsofheads.com to your address
book. |
|
| |
