Paul VI High School Winter Edition 2021 E-TALON New Year Resolutions: A Fresh Start Winter Edition 2021 A Fresh Start By Sophia Viggiano ‘22 People are viewing 2021 as a fresh start from the chaos and calamity that was 2020. 2021 presents itself as an opportunity to be a much better and hopefully calmer year than the one before. Resolutions This year especially, resolutions are prevalent among journal, and discovering new music are all simple things those who have been craving a change. Following last that have the ability to make us feel better in the long- run. Ideas such as trying something new each month or year, this is something many of us share in common. finding a new hobby will help to discover more about New Year’s resolutions are the perfect way to spark ourselves and our capabilities while in a form of isolation. change while still staying safe during the new year. Staying in touch with friends and family is difficult right Resolutions this year should be a resolution that will now, but a resolution could be to find better and safe make you happy. After 2020, this is the perfect time to ways to do so, such as through technology. ignite a change that you can benefit from. Some ideas are to read more books, try something new each month, find more music, stay in touch with people better despite the current difficulty, exercise more, start a journal, or to start a new hobby. Reading more books, starting a This is the perfect opportunity In This Edition: to change your life. Prepping for Midterms Midterm Stress Prepping for College The beginning of 2021 is a clean slate. Although we still Christmas Recap have to deal with Covid-19 and continue to grapple with it, the new year still benefits us as we are able to put New Year Reality many events of 2020 behind us. These ideas and Winter Fun/Treats resolutions may not seem like much, but it may blow Virtual Learning your mind how much completing one of these resolutions PVI Girls Basketball can change your life. Once you start, one you may Interview with the Jones’ wonder how you ever survived without it. It can never Great Gatsby Review hurt to begin a new hobby or start doing something daily Election that will benefit you and your life, so what better time to Staying Healthy start than now? Reflection www.pvihs.org Paul VI High School Winter Edition 2021 Reducing Midterm Stress by: Gwyneth Macdonald 22 Publications At this point, there is no doubt that the cognition so you will be ready to breeze inevitable midterms have touched the your way through the upcoming mind of each and every student at Paul midterms. VI. Some of you might even have been thing of them since well before Christmas Two, you can listen to music. Listening to break. Unfortunately, with midterms music is a great way to take your mind comes stress, a testimony to how off the exams. Something about getting important they are. However, there are a lost in melody and lyrics makes what had few ways to ease and reduce, if not once seemed like life’s biggest completely eliminate the midterm stress. challenges seem small and conquerable. Here are three. But it doesn’t just have to be music. It could be soothing noises, sounds of a One, you can take a nap. One of whale or a thunderstorm. It can even be the most universally loved activities, a podcast. Just listen to whatever fits sleep rarely fails to relax a stressor. But your fancy to help ease your stress. naps are a whole different ballgame. The only detestable aspect of sleep is having Three, last but not least, you can to wake up early in the morning. But with exercise. Getting the blood flowing in naps you can wake when ever you your body supplies you with serotonin choose. So don’t just depend on the and energy, which can help combat your necessary eight hours of sleep with the stress. Trying anything from a walk approaching midterms. Try taking a nap. around your house to a jog around the As a bonus, sleep also improves your neighborhood can usually do the trick. www.pvihs.org Paul VI High School Winter Edition 2021 Studying for Midterms 3. Listening to music- Listening to music By: Olivia McDaniel 22 Publications while studying could take the edge and stress As midterms approach at a quick rate, stress, away from all of the information at once. Plus anxiety, and worry comes with them. Even who doesn’t love a good jam session during a though midterms can be quite stressful chemistry study guide? sometimes, here are some tips to stay happy 4. Working out- To take out stress from all and stress free during the hours of studying. the study guides and quizlet, take a walk. 1. Study ahead of time- I know the week Taking a walk, going to the gym, or even before midterms can be very stressful with the taking a jog around the block could refresh copious amount of last minute work piled on your mind and give you more space to think by teachers. However, if you manage your at your own pace. time well and get the last minute assignments 5. Eating healthy- Eating healthy could out of the way, you’ll have more time to study help with your mood the days leading up to for your exams. test days. It could also refresh your mind and 2. Sleep- Sleep is very important for our give it the proper nutrients it needs. body to recuperate after a hard day of taking Good luck and happy studying! tests or learning new material. It is super important to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night ESPECIALLY leading up to test days. You don’t want to be falling asleep in the middle of the test. www.pvihs.org Paul VI High School Winter Edition 2021 Erase Away Exam Stress by: Evangelina Santos ’21 Publications As you are spacing out your study As the third week of January sneaks up schedule, it’s key to remember that taking around the corner, students are beginning to breaks are necessary! Giving the brain some prepare for midterm exams. Not only do they time to get back on track will help improve have the stress of exams lurking nearby, memory and productivity. During these schooling in a pandemic unsurprisingly adds breaks, try to steer clear of social media and onto that. In order to prevent last minute cram digital distractions. Maybe instead, tidy up sessions, students should really jump on the the workspace, make a snack or do 30 jump- ball to relieve some stress before the exams ing jacks. even start. Exams can be a stressful time of year The first and maybe most common for any student in any grade. Working on time strategy to reduce exam stress is to space out management skills and focusing yourself will studying. By doing this, students won’t have be a “brain benchpress” (as Mr. McGrath to stay up till dawn prepping for an exam. Al- would say) to prepare you for whatever though teachers may not provide a study comes your way. Taking breaks will help give guide in a timely manner, you should the brain a break when necessary and get proactively try to review the bigger topics students away from their coffee and notebook from the beginning of the year to refresh on filled desk. lessons that aren’t fresh in your mind. www.pvihs.org Paul VI High School Winter Edition 2021 Test Preparations by: Cara Colbert ‘22 Midterms are often a stressful time on the subject you are studying. Lastly, for students, as they have multiple once you’ve studied through your classes testing them on the entire first materials a few times, start marking what half of the year. However, good test questions or concepts you are getting preparation can make these tests much stuck on or are difficult for you to less stressful. I personally follow many of remember. Next, begin making up these tips for studying for major tests, as rhymes, sayings, acronyms, or phrases well as regular school year tests. First, it for these pieces of information that you is important to make a distraction free are struggling with. Relating these space for yourself. This may include a difficult ideas to different things or clean room or simply a clean desktop, as sayings can help you memorize them long as it leaves enough space for all more easily. Once you feel well studied necessary study materials. In addition to try to test how much you have learned by a physically clean space, you need to be trying to explain it to someone else. This focused as well, in order to get the most will test if you truly know your subject out of your study time. Some tips for well enough for a test. This can be making sure you remain focused is extremely helpful for essay prep, history playing calm or instrumental music while classes, and literature classes. Finally, if studying and setting aside a specific time you made any diagrams or charts slot of when you will start and stop attempt to redraw them from your studying. This can help keep you on task memory. and will help you stay motivated as you Lastly, remember to reward work towards your designated end time. yourself with breaks and brain food Now that you are focused, you can begin throughout your studying.