ADVICE COLUMN

Best Ways to Relieve Stress

By Gabriella Broumandi

Every day you are surrounded by hundreds of students, but do you realize that each one of those students may be going through days and days full of stress? Sometimes students get so many tests and assignments that they feel like they are about to explode! Stress can make you feel that way, but there are some ways to deal with stress.

First, my favorite tip to cope with stress is to sit down in a nice and quiet place and breathe for a few minutes. This may sound like the stupidest idea you have ever heard, but trust me, it works. When you can finally calm down after a dramatic day at school, it can get you in a better mood for the rest of the day. Next, another tip that I like to use is to get organized. If you are always in a cluttered environment, you too will probably feel cluttered. It helps if you clean the areas that you are in every day. Once you are in a clean area you can focus and stay on task. This way you would not have to deal with the stress that comes with being in a messy room. Finally, this may be the best way to deal with stress. If you are stressed the last thing that you would want to do is start moving around but trust me, it works. When you walk around the block, just once and look outside to see beautiful shades of green and bright blue sky, you can help your body relax. Take a moment to notice the colors of the flowers in your neighbor's yard.

These are a few of the best ways to deal with stress.

Fun Activities to do After School

By Gabriella Broumandi

After school, you can do anything, whether it is hanging out with your friends or reading a book, but there are a few new activities that have just become popular. A great activity that might be good for you, is tennis. You do not have to run, get tackled, or get your legs all cramped, instead, you can have fun and smack balls with a racket.

Another entertaining activity that you should try is art. At first, I was the worst at art, but after taking some time from my day to draw, I became better and better. A good thing about art is that you do not have to be in a particular spot. Whether it is outside or inside art is a great activity to do after school, especially when you are stressed.

Last but not least, you should try dancing. Dancing is a fun way to move around. Dancing can have so many different moves and styles. You can become a hip-hop dancer or a ballet dancer and still get the opportunity to dance and have a great time. Not only are you having a great time dancing, but you can also meet new people. Overall, here are a few of the best after-school activities.

Advice for Incoming 5th Graders

By Siena Goldman

Hello, upcoming Bulldogs! I am a student at BVMS myself, and I have experienced an almost full sixth-grade year. For any questions or concerns you may have for coming into middle school, this advice column will hopefully help. Whether you are coming from Hawthorne or Horace Mann, your first year of a three-year experience should be exciting and interesting, and the BVMS Barker is here to guide you through it.

When I first came to BVMS, I was eager and intrigued by how the year was going to be. I thought and still think, of middle school as a wondrous opportunity to focus on my talents. I was shocked at how many options of electives and classes there were. When you first come to sixth grade, my advice is that you should take a class on something that interests you. For example, I personally love writing. I decided to take the creative writing class and the journalism class and, for the people that are especially smart and love learning, there is an option of honors classes. I loved all of the choices, and I still do. That is just one of the many great parts of middle school.

Another thing to look forward to in middle school is school events. Activities such as dances, trips, carnivals, musicals, drama shows, dance shows, and more. In sixth grade, this year, I took a trip to Simi Valley, California. It was so fun thanks to our wonderful staff that planned it. It was great to be with all of my friends in a cabin and doing fun activities with them. Earlier this year, the BVMS ASB planned a really fun carnival with rides, games, food, and activities. School events are definitely something to get you used to the way of sixth-grade life while having fun and making friends.

All in all, going into middle school is a big part of growing up. Not only are you moving up in a level of education, but you are also moving up to new standards and changes. It will take time to adapt to these changes, whether they are personal or not, but when you do, BVMS will guide you. This is the time to reinvent yourself into the person you want to be. This is also the time to make new friends, because you are getting exposed to all of the schools at this point. It is the time to be a Bulldog!

Best Management Skills

By Aylin Akdag

Many students have poor managing skills, so how can you manage your time? Time management is an important skill. According to magoosh.com, students with poor management skills often procrastinate more, get lower grades, have a poor sleeping schedule, have unhealthy eating habits, and lack punctuality.

So how can you start improving your time management? Ways you can do that is to start planning your week! A way many students plan their week is by writing in a schedule. Even though it sounds simple, it can help raise your time managing skills. Next, prioritize! Prioritize assignments based on your goals. Most students prioritize projects and assignments that are due soon, and overcome procrastination.

Overcoming procrastination is one of the hardest things to do. Ways to overcome procrastination is by telling others, studies show that most students do not want to disappoint others or embarrass themselves. Reward yourself. An example is you just completed your goal to study for a few hours, so you can treat yourself by buying something you like or want, and another great way is to avoid excuses. Do not say "I will do it later" instead, do it right away so you can do other things you want/need to do faster.

Handling Homework Like a Pro

By Miah Jackson

In most cases, homework is hard to do, but there are a lot of tricks and tips to help.

First, you need to get organized. Start by setting up a homework-friendly area, keep distractions limited, and you could find homework buddies.

Next, you have to figure out your teacher. Find out with him/her is looking for. Also, you can ask your teachers questions.

A few more things that you should do is get started early with your homework and buy a planner for school. If you buy a planner for school you should review it regularly. These things could help you relax if you are stressing out about homework or is on the urge of crying.

Overall Homework could be hard and might be overwhelming, just remember "You got this!"

Making the Grades You Desire

By Miah Jackson

Have you ever wondered how to get good grades? Every day people get worried about their grades, most make assumptions about what their parents would do to them if they have bad grades. The first step to getting good grades is to motivate yourself. If you are not satisfied with your grades then you can encourage yourself to stay focused, just set a goal for yourself. Another way to help you is to keep yourself organized. When you are organized then you would be able to focus more.

Another way that could help you is listening and participating in class even if you are shy, take notes during classes, and do not hesitate to ask for help.

` If you have any test coming up then their are a few ways to help study. A few things you could do is consider studying together with other students, and Taking breaks in between studying. Tip: Put your phone on the side and turn it off or on silent so you will not get distracted

Lastly, you can set a time with your teacher, before or after school you and your teacher can be together and work on things that you might be struggling with, also you could always sit in the front of the class and your teacher might be able to get to know you better and understand what you are struggling with.