We had the privilege of interviewing Daniel S. via Google Doc and asked for some experience about: High School Courses
a student at the University of Virginia
tennis team captain in high school
had the highest total IB exam score award in his class
34 on ACT, 1480 on SAT
Here are some important words he shares:
"It’s more about quality than quantity when it comes to studying."
"Pay attention in class over the year!"
"Only you can know if you tried your best."
Q: How did you find time to complete assignments and study for all your classes while staying involved in extracurriculars and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (if you did)?
A: To be honest, I feel like I spent more time outside of school on extracurriculars and sports than I did on completing assignments and studying. I feel like I became much more efficient at doing work as my high school years went by. Sure, it’s good to spend a lot of time studying, but there comes a point when your brain can’t process any more information and the extra time you spend is all for nothing. It’s more about quality than quantity when it comes to studying.
Q: What do you think factored into how well you did on the IB exams? (studying, personality, help, etc.)
A: I spent a good amount of time studying for the IB exams, but in the end I had to trust that what I learned over the year would be sufficient. Pay attention in class over the year! Don’t think you can slack off then cram for exams. Of course I also spent a lot of time worrying, which I don’t recommend. Overall, I just tried my best, studied hard, and had faith that I would get through it. I left the rest up to God.
Q: How did you determine if you had studied all you could for a test or if you had completed an assignment to the best of your ability?
A: I’ll be completely honest: I didn’t know if I was completely ready before a test. There was no way for me to be certain I had prepared perfectly. In terms of completing an assignment to the best of your ability, you need to be honest with yourself. You can’t just stop when you feel tired and don’t want to study anymore. Only you can know if you tried your best.
Correction from previous post: Interviewee name is Daniel S., not Daniel W.