Down to the wire – How to pull it together at the end of the school year

Hey everybody, what’s up? It’s Seth with sethperler.com, and I’m glad you’re here.

It is down to the wire again. It is the end of the school year, and if you’re a middle school, high school, or college student who is feeling a bit stressed out—and school is not necessarily your forte—this video is for you.

What I’m going to do is tell you about some of the things my students go through at the end of the school year and give you a few ideas on what you can do to make this time go a little more smoothly.

I generally work with middle school, high school, and college students, and all of my students struggle with school in one way or another.

What tends to happen with many students is that, at the end of the school year—when there are only a couple of weeks left—things can fall apart very quickly.

I’ll explain why.

Teachers are often finishing grades at the end of the year. Anything that’s turned in late still has to be graded, and they have to go through everything that comes in late from all of their students. Some teachers have over a hundred students, so they’re really backlogged trying to catch up while also finishing the school year, planning lessons, and giving final assignments.

At the end of the year, there are usually three big things that throw students off:

• Papers

• Tests or final exams

• Projects

If you wait until the last minute to finish a paper, you put yourself in a very risky position. If you don’t finish it—or simply forget to turn it in—a grade that could have been an A, B, C, or D can easily become an F.

The same goes for final exams. If you don’t study and think you can prepare the night before or the morning of, failing that exam could cause you to fail the class.

Projects are also often due right at the end of the year. If you don’t complete the project or forget to submit it, that’s another easy way for your grade to drop dramatically.

If you’re already a borderline student with a C, D, or F, and you’re depending on these last few weeks to improve your grade, you need to be extra careful and work extra hard to get everything finished.

I see this every year, and it’s difficult to watch.

Many of my students have an unrealistic sense of how much time or effort a task actually requires.

At this point, it’s crunch time. Things get tighter and tighter, students become more overwhelmed, and they begin avoiding work even more. That can quickly put them in a bad position.

The consequences can be serious.

If you fail a class, you may have to attend summer school.

Or you may have to retake the class next year. Nobody wants to spend another semester putting energy into the same course.

So if you can really focus during this next week or two, please do it.

Turn off your video games.

Turn off your phone.

Prepare your study area and make this your priority.

Here are some things you can do.

First, turn your phone off while you’re studying.

Second, use an internet blocker to block websites that distract you.

Third, tell people not to distract you. Tell your friends, “I have to focus right now.”

Your adolescent brain is not naturally wired for prioritizing, and that’s okay. Just recognize it.

Tell yourself, “I’m not naturally great at prioritizing, but right now is the time to do it.”

Set boundaries with your friends so you can focus.

Another strategy is to create study groups with friends who are strong students.

Study together, do homework together, and set yourself up for success.

Also, make sure your study space is actually designed for studying.

It shouldn’t be full of distractions.

You may need to rearrange your environment or find a better place in your house where you can really concentrate.

It may take some effort, but it’s worth it.

If your teacher gives you a study guide, use it.

Don’t wait until the last minute.

It’s much better to spread your studying out over time.

For example, if you want to study for three hours, it’s much more effective to study for six 30-minute sessions over six days than to study for three hours the night before.

Studying over several days helps move information into long-term memory. Cramming at the last minute usually doesn’t.

Now, let me tell you where the phrase “down to the wire” comes from.

Years ago, in horse racing, judges had to determine which horse crossed the finish line first.

The problem was that, depending on where someone was standing, different horses could appear to be in the lead.

So they stretched a wire directly above the finish line. The judges would line themselves up with the wire so they could accurately see which horse crossed first.

That’s where the expression “down to the wire” comes from.

It’s a metaphor for a situation that has become extremely close, high-pressure, and important.

I know you’re stressed.

Take a breath.

Make some lists.

Get everything out of your head and onto paper.

Get organized.

Ask for help.

Ask your parents, teachers, or tutors.

You can even email your teachers now and ask, “Is there anything I’m missing that could significantly affect my grade?”

That’s being proactive, and teachers usually respond very positively to that.

Go to office hours.

Advocate for yourself.

Do whatever you need to do so that, in a couple of weeks, you’re not wondering how you ended up failing a class and having to take summer school or repeat the course after all the work you’ve already put in.

You’ve got this.

Take it one day at a time.

One task at a time.

Stay as focused as you can.

Eliminate distractions and keep moving forward.

I know you can do it.

If I was eventually able to figure this stuff out, anyone can.

Please use this advice. It will help you finish the school year strong—and then you can have an awesome, relaxing summer.

Take care.