Human nature being what it is, many of us tend to procrastinate. We all have deadlines to face and often we don’t view them with too much urgency until they start to draw near. Well students, guess what? Those end of semester deadlines are bearing down on you! The obvious deadlines are those that involve handing in assignments. There are summative assignments, culminating activities – possibly involving seminars and presentations, independent studies, and essays. You know what these are, when they are due, and the value they represent for marks.
The less obvious encroaching deadline is the necessity of mastering the expectations of your course. In simpler language, learning the material in your courses and being able to apply that material to problems, questions, or arguments to prove that knowledge on a final test or exam. The bottom line is that you have to study.The inevitable question I get this time of year is “How long do I have to study?” The honest answer to that question is “I don’t know.” Neither your teachers nor I can give you a length of time that will guarantee that you will have learned your stuff. I will guarantee you this though – flipping through your notebook the night before a final exam or looking at the pictures in your textbook isn’t going to do it. Studying is an active thing. You need to make notes, ask questions, solve problems, and be comfortable that you understand the material. Success in school would be easy if we knew that staring at notes for one hour would result in a mark in the 60’s, three hours a mark in the 70’s, five hours a mark in the 80’s and so on. Some of you who brought a good understanding of the subject matter to class, listened to the teacher, kept good notes, asked questions, and handed in all assignments, may need only to go through your notes a few times and perhaps could have a certain level of success, based on the work you put in all semester. You still need to review and make study notes and perhaps work on some questions to refresh your memory and to be ready to prove your mastery of the course material though.
Studying should start now. This may be in the form of going through your notebooks to make sure your notes are complete, or summarizing material in the form of study notes. Short reviews of notes every night will bring much more success than cramming the night before. Now is the time you have teachers available to you to answer questions or to explain things you encounter in your studying. After all, who are you going to ask at midnight the night before a final exam if you come across something that you need help with? Better to sort that out now that to be frustrated on exam day.
Nobody likes studying for final exams – at least I haven’t encountered many people who look forward to it. It is something that we have to have the discipline to make ourselves do. The reward is great, and next time, studying will be that much easier because you will understand the success it will bring.
During the Holidays, or in the time leading up to the Holidays, there is inevitably an increase in charitable donations. At DSS, we have a wonderful tradition of giving, not just during the Holidays, but all year long. Whether it is Famine Relief, Heart and Stroke, Aid Awareness, or numerous other causes, our students step up and exhibit a generous spirit of giving. This Holiday Season, DSS students have collected toys, clothing, and food for the Salvation Army’s Christmas campaign. I am amazed at the generosity of our students and their families. DSS collected over 4500 items to donate to the Salvation Army! Congratulations to all our students on this achievement.
We have had many other activities going on during our Twelve Days of Christmas. Student Council has organized daily activities leading up to the Holidays for our students. Last week was highlighted by the Semi-Formal and pictures with Santa, as well as Ginger Bread House Contest. This week we have had a Basketball Buyout during which our teachers narrowly defeated the Senior Girls Basketball Team. If it is any consolation girls, most of the teachers who played don’t seem to be moving too quickly this morning. Yet to come this week are the Christmas Assembly and the Christmas Movie. Student Council has worked hard to help our students enjoy the Holiday Season.
Everyone have a restful, fun and safe Holiday and Happy New Year!
Here it is, my first blog. My thanks to Mr. Carruthers and his computer class who both set me up and have been encouraging (pestering) me to get blogging. I wasn’t exactly too sure about the blog. Not long ago I didn’t know what one was. Not that I am techno-challenged, I’m on the computer all day. The computer for me though is a source of management – student files, mark programs, attendance, and so on. It is also a means of one to one communication and sometimes one to a small group with e-mail. Lastly it is a tool: scheduling, reporting, and obtaining data. The Internet is a source of information, and in a minor way, entertainment. What it hasn’t been for me is a system of extended communication or a vehicle of interaction.
Technology has advanced so quickly that language apparently hasn’t kept up. We now invent words that previously didn’t exist: hence the blog. Is blog a noun or a verb? Do I blog or do I have a blog? Blog to me sounds much more descriptive, but I don’t think it had an adjective or adverb function (”I feel kind of bloggy today.”) Mr. Carruthers says I should hope for a lot of hits to my blog. Is this a good thing? This sounds like something I should try to guard against. But, since the blog has developed as an effective way to communicate, it is about time that I abandon the monthly Principal’s Comments and go with shorter and more relevant updates.
My fear is that I am joining too late and that next week everyone will be doing something new and I will be just getting comfortable with the blog. Next week I will attempt to continue to blog, but, by then everyone else might be plipping, or scarting or some other word that Webster’s has not yet heard of.
