Advice from our Seniors

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What is a Blue Wave Anchor?

Blue Wave Anchors are seniors who play a critical role in helping ninth graders transition to high school by “anchoring” them to the school community through the Advisory program. Blue Wave Anchors show great leadership potential, kindness towards others, communication skills, engagement in the DHS community, and commitment to making DHS a great place to be!

Please contact Mrs. Fulton, if you have any questions regarding Blue Wave Anchors: cfulton@darienps.org

Advice from our Seniors

On this page you will find videos and lists with sage advice from our wonderful Seniors who are happy and eager to help you! They have lived through this transition that you are about to embark on and have learned so much about being successful and engaged students along the way.

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Time Management

Take breaks every once and awhile.
Write down your homework and know what you have to get done that day.
Use class time wisely - if the teacher is giving you time to work on an assignment, use it!
Don’t save everything for the last minute, spread it out over time.
Adjust your work schedule based on your extracurricular activities.
Try to stick to a daily routine to stay productive at home.

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Academic Advice

Don’t stay confused...ask for help.
Study chunks of material ahead of time instead of cramming the night before.
Do your own work! Plagiarism is never worth it and you will get caught.
Stay organized. Find a system that works for you. It may take some trial and error but it is worth it as it will alleviate some stress.
Find ways to manage your stress. Ask for help, be proactive, and know that you are not alone.

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How to build rapport with your Teacher?

Be friendly and polite so that you make a good impression.
Meet with your teachers outside of class when you are stuck or confused on an assignment.
Make an effort to complete your work on time and with effort.

Distance Learning

Sit in a work space. Ideally a table or desk. Do NOT attend virtual meetings or class from bed or while lying down.
Have video ON unless the teacher says it is okay to have it off. It shows that you are actually in class and ready to participate.
Keep yourself on mute.
No eating meals during class (small snacks should be okay) .
If you need help during distance learning, email your teacher and you can set up private zooms. Sometimes it is hard to clearly describe over email what you may have questions on so being able to talk to your teacher is very helpful.
Remember to check in with classmates who might struggle feeling connected during distance learning. You can work together over zoom or send a message to check in with them.

Self Care

Maintain a sleep schedule. You will be miserable in class if you are exhausted.
Get exercise daily and eat food that helps fuel your body and mind.
Limit screen time, especially after distance learning. Limit social media and information overload. Try to be present and in the moment and not only think about what you are posting.
Cultivate healthy relationships . Your friendships should lift you up and not stress you out. Be true to yourself!
Get involved and contribute to your community so that you can find joy in helping and working with others.
Communicate your thoughts, feelings, and ideas with your family and friends. Let others help you and know you.
Identify your stressors and your coping skills. Ask for help with this if you need it.

Homework

Most classes give homework nightly. This is a big adjustment from Middle School and will feel difficult at first but will become second nature and manageable. You have to dedicate time, space, and effort to homework. This will help your class grade immensely.
Eliminate distractions by putting your phone or other devices away so that you are fully engaged in your work.
Use your study halls/frees → even getting the assignment for one class done can be super helpful.
If your assignment is not due for a few days, but you have some spare time, definitely work on it. Getting things done ahead of time feels like a huge relief if you are busy outside of school .
Use a planner → this can be a physical book or some kind of app/note on your computer to make sure you don’t forget anything.
Be realistic about your schedule. If you are overbooked with activities outside of school, you will need to evaluate your schedule and make time for your new academic workload.

Get Help

Your TEACHER! Make an appointment with your teacher and discuss your concerns. They want you to be successful!
School Counselor. If you are struggling in any way whether it is academically, socially, or emotionally please see your School Counselor. They are all wonderful and want to help!
Blue Wave Anchors- Your Blue Wave Anchor can give you advice or answer questions about school, especially at the beginning as you are learning about our building and new routines.
Peer Tutors: The National Honors Society has peer tutors who can help you. Let your school counselor know you need a tutor and they can give you more information on how to connect with one.
Writing Center Appointments: The Writing Center is a resource available for students to use when they would like support on any type of writing assignment (essays, lab reports, creative writing, and more!), run by talented and friendly students from the National English Honors Society. The Writing Center isn’t an editing or proofreading service, but rather a place to discuss thinking and to improve upon the skills needed to write effectively.

Organization

Have a folder for each subject in your backpack (some prefer having a different color for each class) to hold papers related to what you are currently working on.
Store old units in binders at home for easy access when studying for exams.
Stay on top of your organization. If you get unorganized easily, try plan some time to go through everything each week so it doesn't get out of control.
Managing school work and extracurricular can be the biggest challenge that you need to plan ahead for. If you know you have a big test on Friday and a game on Thursday night, then you’ll know to study ahead of time.
Try different systems and find one that works for you! Don't give up on your organizational dreams just because your first attempt did not work out.

Test Prep & Exams

Create a study schedule in the weeks leading up to exams or a big unit test.
Start studying ahead of time to help alleviate stress and avoid cramming.
Break the study guide into related sections and work through one "chunk" at a time so that all you have to do the night before the test is a review .
Stay organized throughout the semester so all of your notes are easy to find.
Get plenty of sleep so that your brain and body is able to keep stamina during study sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the all the new protocols put into place at Darien High School?
- Please visit our Welcome Back to DHS website for more specific information.

What do I do if I get lost?
- On the first few days of school, look for seniors wearing blue shirts! We are your Anchors and it's our job to help you! After the first few days, we won’t be wearing shirts anymore, but are still here to help. Even if you are not sure if someone is an Anchor, ask! Students and teachers will be happy to help. If you don’t want to ask someone, remember that the school is a circle and if you keep walking you will end up right where you started. Classroom numbers go in order! Odd numbered classes will be on one side, even on the other. If you really need to reorient yourself, exit to the courtyard and renter through one of those doors. You can walk outside!

If I am late to school, where do I go?
- If you are late to school, come in through the main entrance and check in with Jim Smith at the front desk! He will give you a pass to class. Be careful not to be late too often, 3 unexcused tardies gets you an after school detention!

. What do I do with my school ID?
- Your school ID is used for entry to the building (doors are locked), buying lunch, checking in if you are late to school, and checking out books. Keep it in the back of your phone, your wallet, your backpack or somewhere you’ll always have it!

What do I do to prepare for midterms and finals? Are they as scary as they seem?
- Midterm and finals can be super intimidating and stressful but they are absolutely manageable! Midterms will cover everything you learned during the first semester, and finals will cover everything in the second semester (most of the time they won’t include first semester material, but it never hurts to ask). They will be in the middle of January and the last week of school. For midterms, start gathering materials over Christmas break: notes, study guides, etc. Most people study for midterms/finals over 1-2 weeks. The key to large tests is to never cram!! This is another time to make sure you know what strategies work for you! Consider studying in groups (if you can focus). Make/fill out your OWN study guides. Most midterms and finals will have a lot of multiple choice, short answers, and/or an essay, so make sure you prepare for everything (memorizing vocabulary won’t help you on an essay). Most teachers, especially freshman year, will give you a list of terms, concepts, and possible essay questions. If they don’t, compile old study guides, and, as always, ask questions!

Why are there multiple buildings and what are they each for?
- There are 7 buildings but the only ones you need to remember are A,B,C,F and G (D building is the gyms and E is the cafeteria but no one calls it that). The school is more or less split up by subject. When you read your schedule, classrooms will have a number that will look like this: B203. The letter is the building, the first number is the floor, the next two numbers are the room number. Please look at this campus map for more information

Submit your additional questions here.

We will try to address your questions during our Orientation Advisory.

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