HIGH SCHOOL

How To Study In High School

High school marked the point when I started studying regularly -- for quizzes, tests, and exams. ...And when I think back, I was doing it all wrong. My strategy was to make "study notes" by writing/typing the textbook chapter out in point form, in its entirety. I didn't give a second glance to the class notes or homework; I solely studied from the textbook. In doing so, I focused on irrelevant details rather than learning the basics (which the teacher had picked out from the book and outlined in the notes). And what do teachers base test questions on? Of course, the things that they think are important enough to highlight in the class notes. The point here (that I didn't realize until second-year university) is to study primarily the material that is actually discussed in class -- anything the teacher deems to be important -- and to use the textbook only as a secondary resource (in fact, if you learn the class content forwards and backwards, you can get away without even reading the textbook).

I study by making study notes and quizzing myself until I've memorized them.

Before you start studying though, it is helpful to make a study schedule and find a place conducive to studying.

Getting Involved In Your Community

I'll write a post on this soon.

Building A Resume

Resumes are key to applying for all kinds of things -- jobs, leadership or volunteer positions, scholarships, and awards. Here's my basic template for writing a resume. It may be a good idea to take a look at the sections and think about what you might put under each one (or if you have blank sections, what you may like to involve yourself in to fill them up). Before you submit your resume, make sure you take fifteen minutes to write a cover letter -- by skipping the cover letter you're missing out on a chance to sell yourself and stand out!

Applying For Post-Secondary Scholarships

In my Grade 12 year, applying for post-secondary scholarships seemed like a part-time job. I didn't realize how many scholarships were out there -- many of which I was eligible for. I would encourage you to apply for every single scholarship that you think you are eligible for. With a strong application, you may be a better candidate than you think -- and who knows, maybe only a couple of other students even bothered applying. It is possible to make thousands of dollars from scholarships in Grade 12. There are many more scholarships available to Grade 12 students than to students who are already in university. Now is your best chance! Here are my tips on how to find and apply for scholarships.

What To Do In High School If You're Interested In Medical School

If you're in high school and have no idea whether or not you want to go to medical school, no worries! You've got a while to figure that out. Fortunately there's nothing specific that you have to do in high school to set yourself up for medical school (and no med school is even going to look at your high school grades or extracurriculars). That being said, if you do want to get a head start on taking science prerequisites and buffing up your resume, here's a list of things you can do to set yourself up for medical school (or any other career, for that matter!).