Volume 5, Issue 2

Fall 2017
It’s time to FOCUS!
SENIORS! Time is flying!
First quarter is over… You
know what that means?
You’re already shaping
your future!
A lot has happened:
You’ve probably already
applied to some colleges,
retaken SAT/ACT, request-
ed letters of recommenda-
tion, turned in community
service forms, rehearsed,
performed, displayed art
work, attended class…. I
hope you’re feeling accom-
plished. You’ve done SO
much!
This issue is designed to
help you stay focused.
With so much going on,
time is going to seemingly
pass before your eyes.
What happens when “time
flies”? We tend to look so
far ahead that we neglect
what is right in front of us.
Class of 2018
thing or someone in your
life? What is the one area
where you could be more
focused? Take a moment to
reflect on your senior year so
far….
With so much happening, the
School Counseling Office
wants to remind you to focus.
What is your number 1 right
now? What should be your
number 1?Take some time to
write down your priorities:
1) ____________________
2) ____________________
3) ____________________
4) ____________________
5) ____________________
You’re probably thinking
this part is a little silly…It
can really help to write it out!
Give it a try!

Have you felt as though

you’re neglecting some-

Stress and Time Management

Stress can affect us in you’re going to find day… Since we can’t
ways that we don’t some tips on how to create time, let’s fig-
always recognize. handle your stress! ure out how we can
Think about how you You’ll also find tips effectively manage
personally handle on time management. the time we do have!
stress. Do you handle I am sure that we
stress or does stress have all wished for
handle you? Inside more hours in the

Inside this issue:

Fall Senior Points to Ponder
Stress Management 2
 What are your academic goals?
Time Management 2
 What is the one class that you dislike the
Decisions, Decisions 3 most? Contact that teacher and ASK how
you can be more successful!
Transition to College 3
 What is your next application deadline?
Your School Counselor’s Contact Information 4
 What is your favorite way to relieve stress?
AP Scholars Program 4

Things to remember 4

Page 1
Stress Management
1. Identify the sources of stress in
your life.
2. How do you currently cope with
your stressors? Take some time
to think of your thoughts, emotions
and behaviors at times when you
are stressed. How is this different
from when you are not feeling
stressed?
Once you’ve identified these things,
remember the 4 As:
Avoid the str essor :
Learn how to say no. Being a “yes”
person can be stressful. What is one
area where you are comfortable saying
no?
Avoid people who stress you out. Are
you hanging out around “drama”? Try
spending less time around those indi-
Time/Homework Management tips!
 Eliminate distractions in your study
space. Yes, this means you should
turn off your phone and step away
from the internet and tv!
 Change up your study space so you
don’t get bored! Make sure you have
good lighting and a chair that isn’t
TOO comfortable
 Music is OK, but make sure it is
helping you and not hindering you!
Decisions, Decisions
You may have heard back from some of
your college applications already… Good
news, I hope! The main type of decisions
that you will hear are:
Accept—You’re IN
Defer– They need more info. Updated
transcript or a new test score.
Deny– You’re not in… Time to reflect on
your Plan B (thankfully you’ve talked to
your counselor and have a Plan B)!
Page 2
www.HelpGuide.org
viduals.
Try writing down your to-do list as
“shoulds and musts”. This could help
save you some time and relieve the
stress of having so much to do!
Alter the str essor :
Express your feelings instead of bot-
tling them up. Find effective ways of
communicating your feelings to those
around you.
Be willing to compromise. Be flexible.
Take a step back and ask yourself how
you can change to make a situation
better.
Adapt the str essor :
Look at the big picture and try to re-
frame the current problem. How does
this fit into your big picture?
www.timemanagement.com
 Studying at the same time every day
can help. Set an effective time for
yourself and stick to it!
 Study for a focused 40-50 minutes.
Studying for 10 minutes here and
there isn’t going to cut it. Set your-
self up for success.
 Make use of your traveling time to
and from school. Could you be stud-
ying?
“Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela
Most likely, you will be accepted to mul-
tiple universities. If that’s the case, I’m
sure you’re wondering, “Which one do I
choose?” We talked about self reflection
in our classroom visits… it’s that time
again. As people, we are always chang-
ing. Maybe you’ve changed from the
time you submitted your application.
Take some time to really reflect on the
next steps in your life. Is this the best
school for you? Will it fit all of your
Focus on the positive. Choose where
you spend your energy. Refocus onto
the positivity in your life!
Accept the str essor :
Don’t try to control the uncontrollable.
We can’t control the behavior of people
around us, but we can control how we
react.
Learn how to forgive those who have
hurt you. Holding onto a grudge can
cause ripple effects into our daily lives.
Resentment can build up quickly — be
sure that you are expressing yourself
and communicating with those around
you so that you aren’t stuck stressing
over some thing unnecessarily!
 Prioritize. That subject your strug-
gling in should be your top priority!
Focus there first and then move on.
You’ll feel better once that work is
out of the way!
 Choose carefully what you do in
your down time. Be sure that you are
giving your brain the much needed
break that it deserves!
needs? Try not to base your decision on
where all of your friends are going. This
is an individual decision. This is YOUR
future. Make sure that you are focused on
what really makes sense for you. If you
feel like you need to talk it out, come see
your Counselor!
Make sure that you update acceptance
information and your final decision in
your Naviance account.
C L A S S O F 20 1 8
Transitioning to College
blog.campussplash.com
People often refer to the transition from high school to college as the beginning of a new chapter in your life, but it is a
task that requires much more effort than the simple turning of a page. From choosing the right roommate and dorm room
decorations to planning out your first semester schedule, there is plenty to stress about. But, by following a few simple
tips, the process does not need to be all that stressful.

Branch Out
Whether you are going to college in your hometown, or several states away, don’t be afraid to branch out from your high
school friends. While sticking with what you know often seems more comfortable, expanding your network of friends
never hurts. It may even lead to finding your future spouse or business partner.

Surprises Aren’t Always Bad

Especially when going to an in-state university, high school friends have a tendency to want to room together. Some find
success going this route, but it is not always the ideal setup as living with an old friend can place undue stress on the
friendship. Choosing to be placed with a random roommate avoids complicating old friendships, and while there are
plenty of roommate horror stories, they really aren’t as prevalent as they may seem. Another alternative is to utilize so-
cial networking and roommate-finder websites to find a roommate that you do not know, but has similar interests to you,
and you can even chat with them before agreeing to list them on your housing contract. Regardless, choosing to room
with someone you do not already know is a great way to start building that on-campus network.

Know Your Limits

Throughout high school, many people find themselves partaking in as many extra-curricular activities as possible, from
sports to service organizations, in an effort to build that college application resume. While getting involved in activities
and causes that you feel passionate about is great, remember that college courses tend to demand much more of your
time outside of class than high school classes, even those that granted college credit. As such, try to focus on one or two
student organizations until you get adjusted to how much time you will need to dedicate to coursework. Being involved
outside of the classroom should never interfere with your grades.

Balance Your Course Load

The worst way to begin a college career is swamped with too much work, so be sure to take advantage of the many re-
sources available for gauging the requirements of a course before registering. While at orientation, the upperclassmen
that serve as your leaders are often the best source of information on classes. They applied to lead orientation groups be-
cause they want to help, and they love to talk about the courses they have already taken. Many websites, such as ratemy-
professors.com, also provide grade distributions, professor reviews, and estimated work loads of courses for most major
colleges and universities, which can be great indicators of how enjoyable a course will be.

If You Need Help, Just Ask

Many people always talk about how many students’ college professors have and how they really don’t care who you are
or how you are doing in their course, but in many cases that is not true. Professors are there to help you succeed, and are
paid by your tuition and fees, so they are generally willing to work with you if you reach out to them. The best way to do
this is by going to their office hours. Many students fail to take advantage of this time professors set aside each week for
the sole purpose of discussing issues with their students, and taking this initiative often makes them much more receptive
to assisting you with whatever you may be struggling with.

Eric Pait is a member of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s class of 2014. Double majoring in Photo-
journalism and Peace, War, and Defense he interns for reesenews, a digital news publication powered by students at the
UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and serves on the Lobbying & Advocacy sub-committee of
Advocates for Human Rights, a committee of the UNC Campus Y.

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2 Page 3


Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
2445 San Diego Road
Jacksonville, FL
Phone: 904-346-5620
Where Art and Academics meet in
excellence!
Follow our Blog!
douglasandersonguidance.blogspot.com
What is the AP
Scholars Program?
The Douglas Anderson Advanced Place-
ment (AP) Honors program is a rigorous
academic program where students take at
least six specific AP courses: World His-
tory, US History, English Literature, Eng-
lish Language, one AP science and one
AP mathematics course.
All students in the AP Honors program
who complete the required courses will
get a special seal on their diploma.
Students who earn a passing score of 3, 4,
or 5 on six (6) AP Exams will earn the
District Advanced Placement Honors
Certificate.
Students who score a three or higher on
three or more AP Exams will be granted
the AP Scholar Award by the College
Board.
Interested students should pick up your
application today from a counselor and
return to the school counseling depart-
ment as soon as possible.
Your School Counselors
KATHY ANDERSON
School Counselor, 9-12, A-F, ext. 119
mortensenk@duvalschools.org
ALLIE ARMSTRONG
School Counselor, 9-12, G-M, ext. 117
armstronga@duvalschools.org
SHANEKA FERRELL
School Counseling Department Chair
School Counselor, 9-12, N–Z ext. 116
ferrells1@duvalschools.org
Things to remember:
 Keep Senioritis at bay! Don’t let your-
self lose your motivation. Keep your
eyes on the prize! Colleges can re-
scind college admissions.
 If you have received a college ac-
Career and College ceptance offer or scholarship award
letter/email, turn in a copy to your
Search Tools Arts Director.
 Naviance: Update final decision in-
formation (accepted, denied, de-
bigfuture.collegeboard.org ferred) in your Naviance account
Floridashines.org  Apply for Bright Futures if you have
not done so already. You can lock
Naviance.com yourself in for the scholarship if eli-
gible now and you apply before end
of the semester. See your counselor
for help.
 Scholarships: Contact prospective
college/university Financial Aid
offices to inquire about any in-house
scholarships they may have. Visit the
counselor’s corner blog for scholar-
ship applications and links
Page 4