Whether students expect to fly through the next semester or slowly stall on by, the San Marcos Counselors are here to offer advice. From Ms. Howard, Ms. Simpkins, Ms. Haines, and Ms. Enrico here is an early holiday gift that is sure to be the most helpful.
Counselors Ms. Howard and Ms. Simpkins have five pieces of advice.
- Let teachers know right away if you are not understanding the material.
- Access tutoring and teacher office hours if needed.
- Budget time and a quiet space to do homework each evening (either at home or during after school tutoring!).
- Budget times for healthy social connections with friends and family, and time for a relaxing hobby or athletic activity.
- See your counselor if you have any mental health concerns.
One of our other amazing counselors, Ms. Enrico gave advice for each grade.
- During your freshman year, start taking A-G classes and practice good study skills.
- For Sophomores, stay on track for success during your sophomore year by continuing to take A-G classes that help prepare you for college.
- As a junior, explore campuses you’ll want to attend, register for the SAT or ACT and keep aiming for good grades.
- Finally for seniors, you’re almost there! See the final steps you can take to ensure you’re prepared to apply to and attend college. Once you’ve applied to college, make sure you continue to get good grades as all college offers are conditional.
“My advice is to get involved on campus,” said counselor Ms. Haines. “San Marcos has so many great organizations, sports, and clubs which are all doing fun and exciting things. By being involved in school activities, students often find that coming to campus is more fun! I’d highly recommend joining Sources of Strength at lunch every other Thursday in Room D-14. I’m one of the adults working with this club and students can come see me if they’d like to get more information or they can just show up!”
Take all this advice into account and add some of your own hard work to make this school year one of the best ones yet. Like all the counselors said, staying dedicated will reliably make your school life more stress free and manageable. Make sure to thank your counselor this holiday season for the work they do year round and take their advice to kick off your second semester.
