What is the best way to stop procrastinating on homework?

Think about how many times in a day do you think about that one looming assignment? How much mental energy are you spending loathing, pondering, torturing yourself about it, all the while knowing that when you sit down to get it done, it won’t be that bad at all. Focus on how much better you’ll feel having it done. Step one: take a deep breath. Step two: Set a timer for 30 minutes, or just 15 if you’d like, and commit to working for that entire time. See what happens. You might end up working for twice that time, or if not, you’ll have a solid start and a better handle on what is left to do. It will get easier with practice, but procrastination will probably not go away immediately. So in the meantime, you might as well let yourself do other productive things while you’re avoiding that assignment!

— Lexi Pasternak, senior

I have lots of homework and extracurriculars and I don’t know how to balance them all. Any suggestions?

First things first: If you’re truly overwhelmed to the point of sacrificing your health, well-being, or relationships, you need to reevaluate. Would it ruin your life to step back from an extracurricular or two? If you have a leadership position, are there things you can delegate? Think very seriously about the past week, and whether you could handle repeating it 10 more times in a row. It might not be sustainable.

I would also add that one of the best things you can do for yourself here is to keep track of assignments and tasks with a to-do list. That could be a gorgeous bullet journal agenda, or if you’re like me, a bare-bones checklist doc on the Notes app. Just assigned some homework in AP Bio? Write it down. Been meaning to get that gift for a friend? Write that down, too.

The most important thing here is to get all of the todos out of your head and into a place where you know they won’t get lost or forgotten. Human brains are unreliable, so lift the burden a bit from yours and you might find that your baseline stress goes down. And even better, when you sit down to get work done, crossing out to-do items feels fantastic.

Some other general advice: punctuate your dedicated work sessions with time for friends and beloved hobbies. Get enough sleep so that when you are working, you are focused and productive. And lastly, take comfort in the fact that everyone at this school is pretty much in the same boat. So start a conversation! Commiserate with others!

— Lexi Pasternak, senior

Do you have any tips on how to stay focused?

There’s no easier way to make your day absolutely miserable than shaving off a few hours of sleep. Get enough sleep so that for the time you are awake, you can actually focus (and maybe even enjoy life a bit). DO NOT get caught up in the idea that getting no sleep is a badge of honor. People exaggerate all the time about their sleep. If you get your 8 hours, you’ll feel and operate so much better. Trust me.

Moreover, it helps to physically schedule blocks of time to get work done. Don’t just imagine a productive Sunday afternoon, put it on your calendar. Silence your phone. Switch between subjects to keep things interesting and take breaks, even just to pace around your room or listen to a good song.

— Lexi Pasternak, senior

How do I deal with lack of motivation?

First, understand that it’s normal to lose motivation and energy sometimes—particularly when you’re under a lot of stress—but seek help if you think this might be connected to something more serious. But in general, your best way out is probably to start small. Start by accomplishing little things and it will be easier to build momentum… so take big, scary assignments and try to break them into smaller tasks. Seek out external deadlines and accountability from teachers, friends, or parents. I also seriously recommend going for a run.

— Lexi Pasternak, senior

Several folks asked questions about motivation, work, and procrastination. The best way I tackle procrastination and staying focused, especially in situations where my assignment is due at 11:59, is by deleting all social media, games, and entertainment off of my phone. As for my computer, I block sites that keep me distracted or use the parental control system. Making a list of what you need to do helps you stay motivated and allows you to balance your workload. Good luck to you all!

— Virginia Zhang, freshman

My pronouns are they/them, but most of my classmates don’t know that so I get misgendered all the time. How do I tell people at school my pronouns without standing in front of everyone and yelling “THESE ARE MY PRONOUNS”?

That’s a really good question—I also use they/them pronouns and I’ve done a lot to try to make it clear to everyone around me, but I still get misgendered at school. It’s an unfortunate reality for a lot of trans people and while I know that I’m doing all I can to communicate my pronouns, it’s still a disappointing experience when it does happen. These are a few of my ideas that I’ve personally used and found very helpful:

Create an email signature for your school email that you can sign all of your emails off with. You can include your name, the year you graduate, etc, but also include your pronouns! It’s an easy way to incorporate them into casual emails and it’s even becoming more and more common for teachers and students to have their pronouns in their email signatures.

Change your name in Schoology and Outlook! If your name is not the same as the one listed on your legal school account, then you can email administration to ask for a name change there! I know a lot of people who have done this and since we use Schoology and our emails all the time, it’s such a great resource.

Correct others when they use the wrong name or pronouns for you. I know this is easier said than done sometimes, but direct communication is helpful for a lot of people. It doesn’t even need to be in the moment; you can always approach someone later and talk to them about how to correctly refer to you.

Talk to your teachers about using the correct pronouns. If others hear your teacher referring to you with the correct name and pronouns, they’ll pick it up faster that way as well.

There’s no set and established way to tell others your pronouns and you should just do whatever makes you feel most comfortable. I know that there are some teachers or students that you may be more hesitant to come out to or communicate with, and that’s completely valid. Just know you are never asking too much or being a burden by expecting others to use the correct pronouns for you. Please let me, guidance, or administration know if you have any problems or anything comes up and I also want to offer up the GSA as another safe space for you. The same goes for everyone as well - the more people that introduce themselves or inform others of their pronouns, the easier it is for more people to come forward about them as well. Trans people aren’t the only ones who should have to tell others their pronouns.

Ideally, it will be like second-nature to communicate pronouns at school, and I’m working to create that sort of community in years to come. But until then - please know that you are valid and the GSA and I are always here to help in whatever way we can. Thank you so much!

— MJ Jebo, president of MLWGS Gender-Sexuality Alliance