20
ACADEMICS
theapachepowwow.com
October 2016
FIND THE CURE TO YOUR WRITER’S BLOCK By NOELLE NATIVIDAD Staff Writer
You know exactly what you’re going to say if you could just find the words, or maybe you don’t. Maybe that’s the problem—you’re just plain out of ideas. This is a chronic disorder that plagues all writers, even those who aren’t so inclined to call themselves so. In the English language, we have a name for it. We call it “writer’s block”. That’s the idea. There’s a wall separating you and your essay, and to get over is a true trial of determination and creativity. Writer’s block is unavoidable, inevitable, and common, but there are ways to get over the metaphorical block and it all stems from a different viewpoint. Jeff Goins, a writer and entrepreneur, described it as a condition that “happens to every writer. It’s inevitable. Your prose has turned to mush, you don’t have a creative bone left in your body, and you want to throw in the towel.” We all know that feeling. Maybe it’ll be minutes, hours, or even days before you come up with a solid idea, and there are times where this may slide, but for the rough deadlines, you might want to try these brainstorming tricks to get over it. 1. Identify the cause. Stress causes writer’s block as much as a lack of ideas does. When you’re coming up mere hours before an essay is due and you take that time to doubt whether it’s possible, you’ve just dug your own hole. In moments like these, close the laptop and take a few breaths. Remember your purpose and what you like readers to gain from your writing. Also, avoid “perfectionism”. Goins noted, “You want everything to be just right before you ever put pen to paper or touch a keyboard. You try to get it perfect in your head and never do, so you never begin.” This often creates a major block in fluidity, so when facing that critic within, simply writing everything may be more productive than sitting and staring. 2. Think about other things. Maybe you just need to set it aside for a few minutes, so just switch to a different subject for ten or so minutes and come back. This gives your brain a short break to come back refreshed and with a different perspective. 3. What are you trying to say? This method often involves outlining or simply writing down things that you like. Create a list of the things you want readers to feel or see, this leads to creating sentence structures from your comprehensive outline. 4. Start over. This is the last hurrah of writing, especially when it comes to deadlines. If you are completely unsatisfied with the work you produced or with how it reads to the audience, find a new perspective. Look at your topic and find things that relate to you and that you are passionate about, because passionate writers make the best pieces. Pulling an abstract topic may also be helpful. Think of something as simple as the color blue and write something creative. With all of this in mind, get over that hurdle and write something you love. Writer’s block, though irritating, leads to the best breakthroughs, simply because the writer is able to reevaluate his or her purpose. In some cases, it may even be helpful. So, for the writer in you, push through for the sake of writing and create something you are truly proud of! nnatividad@apachepowwow.com Graphics by DONNA SAYPHRARAJ
FOILED AGAIN?
By KAYLI MAK
Staff Writer
Test anxiety is terrible. The impending sense of doom one gets during the hours before a test is an awful feeling. I happen to be excellent at tearing at my hair and sobbing over textbooks. That’s the way it has always been. Obviously, if you haven’t studied, freaking out before your test is only natural. Teachers often say that if you know the material, you shouldn’t have any reason to be nervous. I don’t believe that. Sometimes, even if you’re the smartest person in the world, you blank out, putting a serious dent in your currently decent grades. For this reason, there is always a reason to be nervous. Still, it doesn’t hurt to study a little harder. When I’m studying, my friends just happen to appear out of nowhere. Though I relentlessly tell them that their presence is distracting, their constant antics seem to interfere with my packed schedule of stressing out, crying, and stressing out again. That’s just one example of how studying can go wrong. When my studying is interrupted, I tend to spend a longer time internally screaming than actually studying, and that’s not good, especially when I actually have to study in order to assure myself that I’ll actu-
ally succeed. So, the big idea here is to make sure you study well. My juvenile middle school habit was to have “test rituals”. This was mainly just to psychologically prepare myself for the test. I should probably mention that this exercise was just to ensure my personal sanity. I wore bracelets, “lucky” t-shirts, and woke up exactly 30 minutes earlier than usual to pick up the textbook (and to fall back asleep on it). Those ridiculous things I did took my mind off of the various tests long enough for me to relax, even if it was just for a little bit. If none of the previous methods have worked, then I suggest swaddling yourself in a blanket (optional) and propping the textbook (and the notes you can dig up) in front of your face. Even if I’m not scrutinizing my notes like some sort of evil scientist, I find that this tricks my mind into believing that I’m being somewhat productive, and being “productive” is always good. As a whole, if your test anxiety is affecting your ability to actually take the test, then you should probably talk to your teacher. Otherwise, a little stress can be a good thing. It just shows that you care and forces you to study a little harder, and working a little harder is always appreciated. kmak@apachepowwow.com
JUGGLING PRIORITIES
By ROSELIND ZENG
Staff Writer
“Homework. Sports! Afterschool. TEST!… Sleep? Who has time to sleep anymore?!” So much to do and so little time to complete the daunting tasks at hand. You can’t simply wish these problems away— oh no—it’s never that easy. Your fingers sliding rapidly across the keyboard draws the attention of everyone, while you sit there and review the questionable quality of the essay that’s to be handed in tomorrow. But then we wonder: is there a better way of going about our learning careers; a more sophisticated path amidst the blunder and chaos of our to-do lists? When the pressure of education clashes with the responsibility of society, what’s the best course of action? The most important thing to remember when keeping our lives in check is to have a plan. For example, if you have a quiz, a test, and a sports match all in the same week, set aside time to study on top of training. Everything is much simpler if it’s written out, than when you improvise upon your schedule. When enacting the goals you’ve set for yourself on paper, stability and time management are what keeps your life from
falling apart. We’ve all had those times when we procrastinate, reassuring our conscience with “I’ll do it later”, but if you maintain a stable schedule, and get rid of all the distractions that come your way during the week, you’ll find that you become more productive. And lastly, if you want to balance out your busy schedule, then it should be natural to be ahead of the game. If you feel like you’re cranking out work every second but it never satiates the monstrous workload you have, then try to do the work before you’re required to. Preview the chapter, and take notes before the teacher lectures on it. That way, you gain knowledge and make room for in-depth discussions in class. Review for a test over a course of a few days; this is more effective than that of cramming the night before. Know important dates that are coming up, so that you can attend to what you need and not be so strung out, not knowing what’ll pop up next. Being in high school is sometimes a daunting task. If you employ the right tactics and be aware of what’s coming your way, however, you’ll achieve many great things in school, and in life. rzeng@apachepowwow.com Graphic courtesy ICONFINDER.COM
