Each issue of Verbatim, there will be an article dedicated to giving advice on a student to student basis. This advice column is lovingly referred to as “Dear Susie” to keep anonymity among the Verbatim staff. Sending in questions is encouraged to help connect the BT community and to make Verbatim as relevant as possible to the student body. Questions can vary from academic dilemmas to personal (but appropriate) affairs. Feel free to send in topics through our instagram @btverbatim! Names will not be included in the articles and the Verbatim team will do our best to protect the privacy of those who send in questions. 

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Dear Susie, 

     The school year just started and I am already drowning in homework. I love my teachers, and my friends are more supportive than ever, but I just can’t seem to use my time wisely and finish my assignments. My school cares a LOT about Not Turned In Assignments (NTI’s), and at the moment, I have 10. Pleaseee help!

Sincerely, 

Overwhelmed

Dear Overwhelmed,

Thank you for being brave and reaching out about your academic worries—you aren’t alone. I think the most important thing to do when stressed out (specifically over academics) is to scope out your priorities, complete one task at a time, and keep everything in perspective. 

When you are faced with many tasks and assignments, write them all down—which can be done in a journal, Google Doc, or on a piece of scratch paper—and visualize what you need to complete. Make sure to write down due dates and instructions alongside the assignment to make sure you are aware of when and how each task should be completed. From there, start to complete each assignment based off of the due date and priority. If a certain subject or task is more challenging for you than another, make sure you keep that in mind when delegating time out for each task—as it may take you longer. If you’re still struggling with an assignment after spending a considerable time on it, reach out to the teacher that specific assignment pertains to and ask for help—your teachers are there to support you and cheer you on!

When you are overwhelmed with tasks, it is important to break them down into small bits, thus giving you a greater feeling of achievement after you complete them. You can break assignments down into small tasks, or simply just complete as much of a task as you can within a certain time frame. Keep in mind, you will study the best when you aren’t distracted, so take study breaks as needed—and don’t have distractions such as food or technology with you when trying to be productive. 

Finally, you need to keep everything in perspective. You have many tasks you need to complete, but bit by bit, you will be able to chip away and complete them. Regardless of what you’re tasked to complete, you WILL in fact live—even if you feel like the world is ending in the moment. As cringy as it sounds, try your hardest, and if you do that, you will not have any regrets. Your friends, teachers, and family are there to support you, so lean on the people who care most about you and enjoy the ride of high school, because it will be over before you know it. 

 xoxo, 

Susie