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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!).

8 comments:

  1. I was wondering if you could tell me where you volunteered at?

    Thank you

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    Replies
    1. In high school a lot of my volunteering was through my school (at the school library, peer tutoring, helping with events like parent-teacher interviews, writing/editing for the school newspaper, and being involved with a couple of clubs/fundraisers). In university I only did a couple of things on campus (practising conversation with international students in the English Language Centre, science presentations for kids). Starting in high school and continuing in university I volunteered with a few organizations outside of school that I found interesting (aquarium, museum, hospital, fine arts show, emergency preparedness group, and community events in my town). Really, just find something you're interested in (not necessarily medically related!) and see where things go from there :) You might want to ask around or look online to find volunteer opportunities in your city. Good luck!

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  2. Hi!
    I was wondering whether you knew of any more blogs like yours; I am trying to organize my stuff for the school year, and it's already a mess. I love your Student Organizer Binder idea, but it wouldn't work for me due to picky teachers who want everything in one binder for one subject only. Lol. So yeah do you know any Studyblr blogs etc. that would help?
    Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Hi! I'm sorry, I don't know of any organizing/Studyblr blogs. I do follow paperl0vestory on Instagram (she also has a blog) for some organization/note-making inspiration, but I'm not sure she provides any suggestions on organizing binders, specifically. Searching on Pinterest may be helpful -- I look there for all kinds of stuff all the time! Good luck with finding some inspiration and getting organized!

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  3. Hi!
    Do you know of any volunteering opportunities for high schoolers in Edmonton? I tried hospitals but there are HUGE waiting lines, and since you are working in the area, I thought you might know.
    Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Sorry for the slow reply! I haven't done much volunteering in Edmonton so unfortunately I don't really know what opportunities are out there... And I had no clue that the hospital volunteer wait lists were so long :( There's the Volunteer Edmonton website -- I haven't used it, but it may be helpful. Also, you could contact specific organizations that interest you (e.g. Big Brothers Big Sisters, Humane Society, public libraries, etc.) and see if that leads anywhere. Good luck (and sorry I can't be of more help)!

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