There are many pieces of advice I could give to underclassmen. Throughout my high school career, I have been successful in athletics and academics and participated in a swath of clubs and activities. There are many qualities and characteristics that top students and athletes share. Although it would be counterproductive to have an extensive list of all of these traits, there are three main mindsets that set apart top performers.
Students and athletes who excel understand how to work hard. Committing focus to the material in the classroom and on the field is paramount to success. You cannot perform well on a test if you do not understand the content. You cannot perform well on the field if you do not improve your technique. Constantly giving one hundred percent in all you do will make it much easier to improve. In school, I have taken many honors classes, including seven Advanced Placement (AP) classes, one Indiana University Advanced College Placement (ACP) class, and many grueling Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classes. However, I achieved success in all of these classes through devotion to the material. Every day, give your full attention to notes. Write them on paper, as it is easier to remember when you write them rather than type them.
Athletically, I also received numerous awards in football, including two All-Conference awards, one All-Loganland Honorable Mention, one All-Loganland award, and the Lineman of the Year award. I began playing football in my freshman year. It is beneficial to go to every practice. If you are not on your deathbed or injured, you should be at practice. The training of your technique and body cannot be replaced. I am living proof that hard work pays off, and anyone can succeed in athletics if they dedicate their mind, body, and time.
The second important concept is understanding sacrifice. This can come in many different forms. Sacrificing your time, body, and mind is necessary to succeed. In the classroom, sacrificing energy and time outside of class will make it easier to understand the material and score well on tests. On the field, giving one hundred percent of your body at every practice and every match will greatly improve your endurance, skill, and vision for the game.
Sometimes, it is necessary to sacrifice your social life. There are numerous different gatherings or places you could be late into the night on the weekends. You need to decide on what you want your high school career to look like. While one may constantly spend time with friends, another may devote more time to studies and athletics. While neither approach is better than the other, deciding on what you want from high school will make it easier to have an understanding of what you need to accomplish. It is also important to quell your ego. Understanding when you are outmatched and need to improve is important. During my sophomore year in football, I believed I was ready for the varsity level. Looking back, I know I was not. However, my desire to prove myself greatly improved my skills. Because of the work I put in during my sophomore year, I was able to reach a high level of practice and performance during my upperclassmen years.
Miss DePoy, AP Calculus teacher, has had a great first year teaching. She was able to teach the class very well despite her little experience. However, next year, she plans on changing how she teaches next year. “Since this was my first year teaching AP Calculus, there will be a few things that I would change in the coming years,” DePoy said. “ In order to cover all the different topics, I’m considering reordering the chapters I cover. This way, the applications are covered closer to the time that my students would take the AP test.” Mrs. Cooper taught her first AP class this year, instructing AP Chemistry. Although she is a veteran teacher, it was a much different experience teaching such difficult material in a short amount of time. Because this was Cooper’s first AP year, she acquired the tips and tricks for teaching an AP class. Similar to Miss DePoy, she plans on rearranging the order of content. She also plans on spending less time on certain topics, so there is more time to teach others more thoroughly. Even teachers realize it is critical to recognize where you need to improve and when you need to make a change. If you cannot remember the material from taking notes, you may want to change your note-taking technique. If you are not improving in a sport, you may need to work harder or change your approach to practice. Humbling yourself, realizing your strengths and weaknesses, will help you to improve.
Strong work ethic, sacrifice, and awareness of your abilities are three characteristics of successful students and athletes. All three of these characteristics are obtained, not given. Everyone has the ability to be successful, no matter what that success looks like to each individual. No matter what you become or what you decide to dedicate yourself to, be the best version of that person you want to be.
