Karina Mirenda '23
Notre Dame is consistently praised for its atmosphere of productivity and solidarity. What is seldom mentioned, however, is the difficulty in adjusting to this environment of rigorous education and high expectations. For the expectations are indeed high. There are Notre Damians — a phrase which I have coined in favor of “ND girls” — who seemingly have their lives perfectly sorted out: they get their homework done early, they travel from far-flung boroughs at the crack of dawn, they engage themselves in all hours of community service and sports.
On first arriving at Notre Dame, I felt hopelessly inadequate. How did they possibly do it? Not only did these girls do all of their assignments on time, but they actually appeared to complete them with ease; they had social lives outside of school, they were independent. HOW DO THEY DO IT? HOW?!
As someone who considers themself to be something of an Olympic-level procrastinator, I have tried my best over the years to copy the habits of my high-achiever friends. This article is my attempt to share the best, if controversial, strategies I have observed, along with personal tips and words of advice surrounding school culture…
Everyone is needlessly stressed out, although they try to put on a brave face.
Those poster-child Notre Damians I mentioned earlier? It’s all a facade. The sad truth is that everyone is horribly stressed out over schoolwork, although they tend to keep it to themselves for the sake of keeping up appearances. There are a lot of sleepless nights and teary mental breakdowns that no one ever talks about, a lot of 11:59 submissions, and hours spent mindlessly staring in space. Even the most perfect-seeming girl is quietly struggling under the enormous weight of her responsibilities both inside and outside of the classroom. I say this in a way that is meant to be confidence-boosting: no one is perfect, and everyone can empathize with your problems. Do not feel as if you must hide your struggles from your friends.
The best students know how to relax.
One thing that particularly shocked me as a freshman was the stress I saw being associated with quizzes and tests. Perhaps this was merely a “me” thing, coming from a middle school where such things were not so valued, but it was nevertheless concerning. I actually saw some poor souls burst into tears over biology and physics tests (if you know you know). The students that I especially admire are the ones that get good grades and yet still know how to have fun outside of school, the ones who know when to buckle down and when it is reasonable to slack off a bit. Here is what may be the most important piece of advice for any Notre Damian: know where to concentrate your efforts. Some of the work you will be assigned is busywork. So should you be putting in the same amount of effort for a five-point list of questions as a fifty-point paper? Concentrate on your weakest areas; focus on where you will get the most points.
Start your homework as soon as possible.
Finally, a bit of concrete advice! This must seem like a no-brainer, but have you noticed? The high achievers always start their homework as soon as it is assigned to them on Google Classroom, no matter if it is due a week later. At first, I thought this was crazy (I mean, hello, it's due a week later, no need to rush to get it done), but this mentality is actually key to not falling behind. Ever heard of the saying, “Never put off for tomorrow what can be done today?” Your goal should be to do as little homework at home as possible. Utilize every free moment, even if it is only the five minutes before class when the teacher walks in. Do not be afraid to stay after school and finish a project in the library, either. These elite Notre Damians are onto something, trust me; you are a lot more productive in school than in your cluttered bedroom.
Know how to utilize your weekends.
From carefully observing my friends, I have realized this life-changing lesson: your weekend should actually start on Friday — or even Thursday, for the really extreme cases. What I mean by this is that you must do all of your “mandatory homework” — a term for any easy yet tedious task due Monday or Tuesday, not including studying — on Friday. The actual weekend should be reserved for personal self-care and downtime such as spending time with friends or exercising. When faced with an especially busy upcoming week, though, one can also use Saturday and Sunday to get started on large projects (such as SAT prep). But by and large weekends, especially Sundays should be a relaxing time of little to no work. Your goal should be to complete all of your homework on Friday.
Your fellow classmates, even non-friends, have your back.
One of the most remarkable things about Notre Dame is its welcoming atmosphere of solidarity that cannot be matched anywhere else. Even girls you barely speak to are willing to help you out. As a freshman, I think I was too intimidated and proud to ask anyone for help, and therefore suffered. But the truth is that people enjoy helping others, and are too nice to judge you. And if you help others, you will find that others will help you in return (a moment of gratitude to the absolute chad who sends out Quizlets on the group chats). I believe that the most effective way to better yourself is to surround yourself with friends who are smarter than you, as they will push you to challenge yourself. The academic atmosphere at Notre Dame is very much “go go go” — submit this document on Google Classroom, check your flood of emails (why are there so many emails), move on to the next thing that has just been posted with no warning (!). Going to class sometimes feels like going to war, a war waged with Apple Pencils against a never-ending flood of assignments. But it is some comfort to know that your friends have got your back. And do not be afraid to speak up for yourself with your teachers! If you have multiple quizzes or tests on a day or have been given no warning for a quiz, you can and should approach your teacher to reschedule.
No doubt you have figured out most of these strategies for yourself by now, but hopefully just seeing them written out in this format has been helpful. Remember: do not beat yourself up for not being as productive as your peers. Comparisons are odious. You are just as good as any other student. The truth is that no one is a perfect prodigy child, regardless of what it may seem like from afar. You can be a high achiever too if you put your mind to it. As countless others have likely told you already, be kind to yourself! Together we will survive high school.
Sources
Edited by: Natalia Cseh '23 and Ms. Brilliant
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