Private school survival tips
When I first transferred from a public elementary school to a private bilingual junior high school, I enrolled in the school’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program. I was scared by the difficult school work and had difficulty understanding my teachers’ instructions because instead of hearing everything in Chinese, all my classes were now conducted in English. When I realized that my math, biology, and English tests were all in English, I thought I would fail junior high school.
Fortunately, I found some ways to adapt to my new school. After tremendous effort and, of course, some failures, my grades started to improve and I even ended up in honors literature in 8th grade.
In this article, I want to share some tips that helped improve my grades and life at a private, fully English school.
Survival tip 1 – Choose your friends wisely
Life in private school is hard, and you might not want to spend extra time and effort maintaining your friendships. However, good company on a tough journey makes it much easier. If you choose helpful friends who inspire you to improve, they will alleviate some of your stress.
My friends and I always discuss difficult homework together. We also support each other by listening to each other when any one of us is feeling down. During break times, we play games that add some laughter to our boring school lives. Schoolwork can be stressful, but if you find friends who are supportive and fun, your life will be easier and happier.
Survival tip 2 – Do not be shy about participating and asking for help
As a transfer student, I used to be too shy to answer questions in class. However, I soon realized that if I kept silent in class, I would never be able to get the teacher’s attention. I overcame my fear of speaking up by telling myself that I shouldn’t be embarrassed about making mistakes and answering questions wrong because no one’s perfect. Having wrong answers is a good way to know where you can improve.
Being confident enough to speak to the teacher is better than leaving any concepts unclear. You can also talk to older students to see how they manage their work-life balance. If you want your grades to improve, then you must have the courage to speak up and seek help.
Survival tip 3 – Develop a hobby
You always need a hobby as a mental break; this can help you balance the stress from school. One hobby I’ve gotten involved in is dance. When I dance, I can shift my attention from the pressure of school to the joy of dance. Moreover, dance makes me a more disciplined person since I have to push my limits and stretch and exercise regularly.
You might feel like it is not worth giving up some study time to practice your hobby. However, breaks are important. Do something you love so that you can have the motivation and energy to keep studying.
Survival tip 4 – Make a study plan every day
Private school students always have tons of homework, studying, and projects. Using your time wisely is important. I always make a study plan in my monthly schedule book, as well as a daily agenda to plan my work. When I get home every day, I decide how much time I want to spend on each assignment, and then finish them one by one. By planning ahead, I can figure out how much work I can finish in a night and also refrain from doing last-minute work.
Survival tip 5 – Don’t just study, also save some time to have fun with classmates
Actively participating in clubs and classes will give you a sense of belonging. For example, I joined the acappella club in 8th grade. After we performed on stage together, I felt connected with other club members. Participating in clubs, class activities, or school activities is not a waste of time. They will help you bond with other students in school.
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Currently, as a high school student at a private school, these tips are still helping me to stay focused and strong enough to face new challenges. School is never easy, yet following these tips can make school life more fun and less stressful. For students transferring from a public to private school, I hope that these tips help.
I think this article can be very helpful for many students that just transferred to a private school, including me. I love how Charlotte gives so many tips, especially the one about not being shy about asking for help and participating.