It is important to develop a spreadsheet for your expenses and income. You can do this manually with a program like Excel, or you can use a special software. You can also use websites like LearnVest to set goals and track your spending. Make sure you are spending less than you make.
You can use a planner to keep track of all of your classes or meetings as well, or you can use an online calendar through Google and set up reminders. Include deadlines for important tasks and goals. Make sure you are able to wake yourself up on time every morning without having to be told. Set alarms on your phone or purchase an alarm clock. Give yourself some extra time between tasks to get everything done. For example, if you expect that a task will take you and hour, give yourself and hour and 30 minutes to complete the task. This is also a good way to improve your chance of being on time for appointments. Be flexible. Keep in mind that despite your best efforts, things may still not go as planned. Remember that everything will be okay if you are late now and then or if a task takes you longer than you thought it would.
If you still live at home, and your parents cook very unhealthy meals for the family, then you might ask them if they can try to cook at least one vegetable per meal. Or better yet, try to be a role model for your family by offering to cook healthy meals for them. Choose the healthiest options for food at lunch. Cut down on foods that are fatty and opt instead for fish and grilled or baked chicken. Drink water instead of soda or other sugary beverages.
Start off with the basics - don’t begin by cooking complicated meals. Try making some meals that just have a few ingredients. Make a basic salad for yourself or bake some chicken. You can also purchase frozen vegetables which are easier to cook than those which have had no preparation.
If you can’t get to the gym, take a walk around the block for 30 minutes or so everyday. You can also YouTube some exercises so that you can do them from home.
Consider setting up a cleaning schedule for your room. For instance, you might dust your room on Mondays, vacuum on Tuesdays, etc.
For instance, if your mom has just come home from work and has groceries in the car, go and help her without her having to ask. Help your friends should they need tutoring in class that you are doing well in.
Make sure that you listen to your parents and heed their instruction, but also note that you don’t have to do everything they say. You should keep your grades up and your room clean, but they can’t tell you where to go to college or where to work after graduation. You can be respectful while still making major decisions about your life.
For instance, if you are considering quitting your part time job because you don’t get along with a coworker, think about how this will affect your family and your other coworkers, as well. Though you may be happy temporarily, you will also have to ask your parents for money more often, which will likely stress them out.
One way to do this is to simply google information you are interested in. For instance, if you want to know more about a certain war or country, google it and read a few articles about it. Read the news in as unbiased a way as possible. Rather than relying on one news source, consider reading several different ones on the same topic so you don’t gather a biased perspective.
For instance, as a very basic example, if you typically ask your dad for help getting something off of a top shelf that you can’t reach, consider ways that you could get the item yourself, like using a chair to elevate yourself.
Read books on all kinds of subjects! Read fiction and non-fiction books to expand your knowledge, spark your imagination, and build your vocabulary. Try reading from genres that interest you, such as sci-fi, fantasy, nature, astronomy, biography, and anything else that sounds like a fun read to you! Consider also carrying around sudoku or crossword puzzles in your bag.
You can reach out to this person by saying something like “I really admire your work ethic and I want to have a career similar to you one day. I was wondering if you would consider being my mentor. ”
Write these goals down and identify concrete ways to achieve them. For instance, if you want to get all A’s this semester, then you will need to devote time everyday to doing your homework, studying and maybe staying after school.
Develop an elevator speech. An elevator speech is a 20-30 second introduction to someone that is short but attention grabbing. You might say something like “Hello, I’m Devin. I’m a Junior at West End High School and I play football and am on the debate team. ”
For instance, if after a group project, one of your group members says that you did not help the group, but you know that you did, you should correct them. You can say something like “I feel that you saying that I didn’t help is incorrect. I wrote three pages of the report and helped build the model. I contributed to the group just as much as you did. ” Don’t let people run all over you; make sure that you defend yourself.
For instance, if your teacher makes a confusing comment in class, they may not even notice it. Ask for clarification.
