We have finally come to the last month of the school year and summer is just on the horizon. But as we go into May, there are a lot of tests and finals and it can be hard to keep up with your work. Staying motivated towards the end of the school year is difficult, especially after you have been working so hard for so many months and you are super tired. But it is very important to keep pushing to finish the year with your best foot forward. Here are some tips for staying motivated during this time- hopefully some of these tips will help you.

1. Create a to-do list

The end of the year can get stressful and busy. Making a to-do list will be very helpful for you. It puts everything on paper and makes it seem like there's less to do which is motivating. Writing down your assignments and tests as your teacher talks about them will help you to remember what you need to do and when you need to get it done. It will help you to stay organized and keep your brain under less stress. Then, as you finish each activity, you cross them off or check the box. It’s motivating to see everything and makes it all seem more manageable.

2. Set attainable goals

Being able to set attainable goals instead of loading everything on yourself will help you get more done and feel more accomplished. Breaking up your work into smaller chunks will help your brain be more organized and efficient and will allow you to create the best work you can for all the assignments you have. And not everyone will need the same goals. Some people are able to create amazing work in larger chunks than others. Make sure your goals are attainable and reasonable for you and your needs.

3. If you don’t understand the topic— ask for help

Asking for help can be hard, but it is necessary if you want to make sure you do well on your finals and assignments. Making sure that you understand the topic and the materials is vital for success. There are tons of resources to help you with making sure you know the content. Looking over notes and videos and talking to your teachers can really help you to make sure you get a full understanding.

4. Finds ways to help you stay focused

Finding ways to stay focused in class and when you're working is pretty important to make sure you get everything done. In class, making sure you are listening to the teacher and taking notes will help you stay focused on the lesson. It is recommended that you take paper notes so that your hands are busy doing something and you can retain the information better. Some students like to listen to music when they work, and some students like to watch TV. It all depends on your personal preferences and how your brain works.

5. Do stuff you love and don’t focus all your time on work

I know this one is really hard, but giving yourself the time to do things you love and enjoy is key to staying motivated. Spending all of your waking hours on school work is not healthy or productive. It is recommended to take a break every 90 minutes when doing homework to make sure you stay productive and produce your best work. With all these finals and AP tests coming it is so easy to spend all your time studying and being prepared and that is good, but it is very important to take a break and do something enjoyable.

These tips should help you with staying motivated during this time. It is hard with everything that is going on, but it is important to end the school year off on a good note and to end with your best foot forward. You’ve got this!

Wednesday, April 19th, at 11 a.m., Brown High School was able to take a trip to Louisville's Slugger Field to watch the Louisville Bats take on the Charlotte Knights for the first all high school field trip of the school year.

Matt Davis, Brown’s High School Transition Teacher, organized the trip. He received an email from the organizers of the stadium, inviting students back from last year. He was then able to reserve the seating section from last year. He said the main struggle was getting students to turn in their permission slips. Davis appreciates the school's location downtown that allowed him not to hire buses or bus drivers, and  so students and staff were able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. Davis said he too had a good time. “I liked not having to tell kids what to do. It was a nice, relaxing day.”

MaKenzie Bridwell, a freshman, said she, too, had a really fun time. “I told my friends no matter what, I was going to catch a ball this year, because last year I was able to catch one, and I wanted to keep it going.” She said, by the end of the game, “The best part was hanging out with my friends and actually catching a ball myself. I didn’t have anyone else do it for me, and I was able to catch another one.” She also said walking around was also nice. Many students took advantage of the freedom at the stadium. It was great exercise to take a few laps and have fun wandering with friends. Bridwell said talking to the mascot, Buddy the Bat, also added to the great experience. She was not only able to speak to the mascot, but to one of the players. She got a brief “hello” from player number 6, Michael Sinani. She was also delighted with the $5 jerseys that all had number 20 because it's her softball number as well, so it was a “cool coincidence.” Finally, Bridwell said she liked the relaxing walk to and from school, “I wasn’t too hot or cold,” she said. 

Jay Cunningham, a sophomore, explained the walk was a great opportunity to hang out with friends without any outside pressures, especially because of how nice a day it had been. “I would love to do it again next year, only walking past the memorial at the National Bank was a little heartbreaking.” While the memorial was a heartfelt scene, Cunningham explained that the ability to walk on some of Brown’s field trips is still a great perk, and the field trip itself was very enjoyable. 

Finally, senior Breah Cryton said, “I had a good time, I loved the ability to chill with my friends, and one of the players waved at me.” She agreed that the freedoms of this field trip made it one of the best field trips she’d taken in a while. 

A huge thank you to Davis from the Bears for one of the most relaxing and freeing field trips, especially for high schoolers right before testing season begins!