July 26, 2004
A: FROM MENTOR DENISE HARBERT IN IL
I also think that 5 AP classes seems like a lot. Do you have no-credit, empty
study periods for the rest of the day? Or do you have non-AP classes for the
other periods? Do you like all those classes? Or are you registered for them
because you're a good student and that's just what's expected of you?

When I was in high school, no one ever cared whether I liked a subject or not.
If I got A's in a subject, then I got signed up for advanced classes in it.
I was a straight A student, so I got signed up for honors classes in
everything, regardless of whether I liked it or not. I had to throw a
stark-raving, yelling, screaming, mad fit to get myself dropped from honors
biology my Freshman year. The teachers and guidance counselors felt I should
go honors then IB/AP in biology because I always got A's in science. No one
seemed to care that I was squeamish, vomited frequently throughout the
semester, and passed out cold every year when I had to prick my finger to do
the blood test. I was an A student, so I did what I had to do to get the A,
but at a certain point there is a line that gets crossed between being a
dedicated student and being a healthy person. Taking on too many honors or AP
classes may create too much stress for you, and too much stress can kill! On
the other hand, you might be a person who is good at multi-tasking and enjoys
juggling a lot of work. Your schedule choices should depend on who you are,
not who the adults in your life think you should be!

As far as organization tips go, preparing detailed calendars and to-do lists
always helps me most! I used to get large white posterboard sheets (about 3
foot by 5 foot) and draw my own calendar. I'd use 2 sheets to put one full
semester on my wall at a time so I could see problem areas well in advance.
Then I would make an identical but smaller version of the calendar on one 8.5
x 11 sheet of paper that I put in white plastic and carried with me every day.
I’d write on my calendars when I had midterm and final exams, AP and
SAT/ACT tests, term papers due, projects to finish, field trips, sporting
events/games, club meetings, and even doctor’s appointments and other
personal things. If I had conflicts or dense areas, I would try to reschedule
things or start studying well in advance of the problem time. Microsoft Excel
is an excellent software to use for "to do" lists. You can type a list of
everything you need to do, then drag and drop cells around to put the things
in order of priority. Printing it on paper then gives me portability to take
the list everywhere and allows me the satisfaction of crossing things off as I
finish them. In the electronic version, cells can be moved and deleted every
week or so as tasks are accomplished, priorities change, and new tasks are
added.

I wish you luck! Keep your wits about you, stay organized, and drop something
if necessary to keep your sanity!

July 21, 2004
A: FROM MENTOR DIANA DIONISIO IN CA
Wow, it seems like you have a lot going for you next year. If you're anything like me though, keeping busy gets me to be more efficient because when I have too much time on my hands and don't have enought to do, I tend to get lazy. I suggest making sure you're not doing too much. Test out the number of clubs you have. You might have to drop some and set your prioroties. Other than that, I like to multi-task. I usually eat lunch or study with a friend so I make time for them. When I study, I take little breaks when I get tired because I learn more. It would take longer to learn things if you're not focused on the material. Good luck next year!
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A: FROM MENTOR BARB KONTOGIANNIS IN CO
Wow, What a schedule! Time management will be important. First I would look at "the many clubs" you have joined. Are they all high-priority interests for you, or just resume padders? Be careful not to spread yourself too thin just to have a full resume. You won't enjoy it or get much out of it, your grades could suffer, and no one will believe you really did it all anyway. Same with the five AP classes - do you need to take them all your junior year? What will you have left to take your senior year? It may be wise to spread them out over two years - you'll be able to devote more time to them and likely even learn more.
That said, if you decide to stick with the very full schedule, be sure to keep up. If you let work pile up, it will be harder to catch up. If you get behind you can very quickly get overwhelmed. Another key to time management with a full load is to do the work in small pieces. Don't start a paper or major project just a few days before it is due. Plan out your activities to make sure you have ample time to complete everything, and juggle the different needs of each course, leaving some recovery time if one aspect does not go as planned. Your key to time management is planning and execution, trying not to procrastinate.
Good luck to you - and have some fun too. If you are not having fun manageing volleyball or participating in the clubs (or even enjoying the AP Class experience for that matter) reasses whether you want to continue with that activity. It's ok to change your mind - be flexible, and set some priorities.
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A: FROM MENTOR BRENDA WOLFE IN CO
Wow Josie! I personally think 5 AP courses is too many. I would spread them out over your Junior and Senior years and have a little fun. In my opinion, it will be difficult to do well in all of them; whereas if you took a couple and really concentrated on them - you would do better on the final test. The goal in taking AP classes is to get a 4 or 5 on the test - so that you get college credit. If you get a 3 or less, you have to take it again anyway. I have been out of school for a while, but I don't think colleges are going to mark you down if you don't take every AP class available. I know I didn't take them all.