2. AN ALL OR NOTHING MENTALITY IS
SOMETIMES BEST.
While, with easier subjects, some degree of
multitasking may be okay, I have found that most
of the time it is better to either completely focus on
family or completely focus on school.
For example, when babysitting, it was tempting to
try to sneak away and study while my siblings were
playing, but I would often get frustrated when they
would return five seconds later and interrupt my
studying.
By being present in the moment and allowing myself
to enjoy my time with them, I became a lot less
stressed, which allowed me to do a better job on my
work once I was done watching them.
3. DO YOUR HARDEST SUBJECTS
DURING SIBLING NAP TIME.
The members of my family who are too young to
do school work take naps or have quiet time during
the afternoon. I imagine that many other families
are the same way. One thing that really helped me
during high school was to take advantage of those
two hours of quiet.
I liked to go for a walk and have lunch right before
nap time so that I could approach the quiet hours
ready to be productive.
Latin was really challenging for me, so I often used
this time to focus on my Latin homework. This was
also a good time to complete any tests that were a
part of the day’s schedule.
4. GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR
TRANSPORTATION TO OTHER STUDY SPOTS.
For most of high school, I did not have my license,
and I did not get a car until I graduated. Despite this,
I was still able to get away and study outside the
home on a regular basis. Sometimes, I would ride my
bike to the library or to my grandparents’ basement,
both of which were very close by.
About once a week, I would go to work with my dad
and either use the mostly deserted common area or
go to a nearby coffee shop or park.
Even though I could study outside the house only
once or twice a week, I would put in a lot of study
hours during those days so that I could afford to take
it slower at home.
These strategies took me a long time to learn and
put into practice. I really didn’t get most of this stuff
down until my senior year.
I hope that my experience will help current Seton
students better manage distractions during the
school day.
Anna Eileen
is a member of the Seton Home Study School
Class of 2014. She is currently a freshman nursing major at
Aquinas College in Nashville, TN. When she is not studying,
you can usually find her cycling, listening to music, or
spending time with family and friends.
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BAYLEY BULLETIN, JUN-AUG 2016
