Having Intention in High School | Basra Keynan | TEDxYouth@AnnArbor
Summary
TLDRThe speaker reflects on their high school experience, emphasizing the importance of extracurricular activities for personal growth and college applications. They discuss the pressures of modern education, including the high stakes of college admissions and the impact on students' mental health. The speaker advocates for organization and planning as essential life skills, introducing their personal planning system and the benefits of the bullet journal method. They conclude by encouraging others to find their own organizational style to manage life's demands and foster personal growth.
Takeaways
- đ The importance of joining clubs and extracurricular activities during freshman year for making new connections and gaining valuable experiences.
- đ« Extracurriculars play a significant role in college applications and can provide essential skills and connections for the future.
- đ The author's personal experience of overcommitting to activities, leading to physical and mental exhaustion, and the subsequent adjustment of their schedule.
- đ A global perspective on students engaging in rigorous academics and extracurriculars while balancing social and personal lives.
- đ The high school graduation rate reaching an all-time high, indicating increased competition in higher education and the job market.
- đ° The financial burden of higher education, with many students graduating with substantial student loan debt.
- đ The corruption and market-driven aspects of the college admissions process, including the involvement of test prep courses and admissions consultants.
- đ€Ż The psychological impact of academic pressure on high school students, with increased rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep deprivation.
- đ The introduction of a planner as a simple yet effective tool for the author to manage their life and reduce unnecessary pressures.
- đš The concept of organization and planning as learned skills rather than innate traits, with the bullet journal system as a personalized approach to self-care and growth.
- đ The author's personal planning system, which involves a brain dump, categorization, prioritization, and the use of daily and weekly planners for effective time management.
Q & A
What was the speaker's first experience with clubs during freshman orientation?
-The speaker's first experience was at an activity fair where various clubs and organizations had booths to attract new members. It was a lively scene with many options to explore, from traditional clubs like music and sports to unique opportunities like student-run theater and cultural programs.
Why are extracurricular activities important according to the speaker's counselor?
-The speaker's counselor emphasized that extracurricular activities are crucial because they contribute significantly to college applications, providing skills, experiences, and connections that can be beneficial in the future.
How did the speaker's approach to extracurricular activities change after their first semester?
-After taking on too many activities and classes in the first semester, leading to long hours at school and lack of sleep, the speaker adjusted their schedule in the following semester to better balance their commitments.
What is the significance of the high school graduation rate mentioned in the script?
-The high school graduation rate reaching an all-time high of 84.8 percent signifies that students are taking their education seriously. However, it also indicates increased competition for higher education and the potential for more students to face the challenges of student loan debt.
What is the average student loan debt for university graduates in the U.S., as mentioned in the script?
-The average student loan debt for university graduates in the U.S. is $37,172.
How does the speaker describe the college admissions system?
-The speaker describes the college admissions system as a business that is not only marketable but also filled with corruption, including test preparation courses, college admissions specialists, and financial aid consultants, which can be quite costly.
What is the connection between the increase in high school students' depression and anxiety and the competitive nature of education?
-The script suggests that the competitive nature of education, including the pressure to excel academically and participate in extracurricular activities, may contribute to the reported increase in depression and anxiety among high school students.
What role did the bullet journal system play in the speaker's life?
-The bullet journal system played a significant role in the speaker's life by helping them to organize their thoughts, tasks, and goals. It served as a tool for self-care and self-recognition, allowing the speaker to better manage their time and reduce unnecessary pressures.
What is the main principle behind the bullet journal system according to the speaker?
-The main principle behind the bullet journal system, as explained by the speaker, is to track the past, order the present, and design the future in a personalized planning system suited to one's needs.
How does the speaker suggest adapting the bullet journal system to one's own mindset and lifestyle?
-The speaker suggests adapting the bullet journal system by starting with a brain dump, dividing tasks into broad sections, assigning colors or symbols to differentiate categories, and prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance. They also recommend starting with daily to-do lists and progressing to weekly or monthly planners as one becomes more comfortable with the system.
Outlines
đ Discovering the World of Extracurriculars
The speaker reflects on their freshman year experience at a college activity fair, where they were exposed to a variety of student-run clubs and organizations. They highlight the appeal of these extracurricular activities in making new connections and the importance they later realized for college applications and personal growth. The narrative shifts to the pressure students face to excel academically and the competitive nature of higher education, touching on the high stakes and financial burdens associated with college attendance. The paragraph concludes with a critical view of the college admissions system, including the recent scandal involving fraud in admissions.
đ€Ż The Consequences of Academic Pressure
This paragraph delves into the effects of the intense academic pressure faced by high school students, citing statistics on depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and rising suicide rates. The speaker discusses the necessity of organization and planning as a coping mechanism, introducing the concept of a planner and how it helped them manage stress and self-imposed expectations. The importance of learning organizational skills is emphasized, drawing parallels to how the brain learns through association, as demonstrated by Pavlov's experiments. The paragraph also touches on the benefits of journaling for memory and communication skills.
đ Embracing the Bullet Journal System
The speaker shares their personal journey of adopting the bullet journal system as a means to organize their life more effectively. They describe the initial apprehension due to the artistic nature of bullet journals but eventually embraced the system's core values of self-care and self-recognition. The paragraph outlines the speaker's adaptation of the system to their life as a student, leader, and website creator, focusing on the three Ps: past, present, and future. The speaker encourages others to take time for self-reflection and growth, offering a step-by-step guide on creating a personalized planning system that includes brain dumping, categorizing tasks, and prioritizing them based on urgency and importance.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄExtracurriculars
đĄStudent-run organizations
đĄCollege application process
đĄOvercommitment
đĄGraduation rates
đĄStudent loan debt
đĄCollege admissions fraud
đĄDepression and anxiety
đĄOrganization and planning skills
đĄBullet journal system
đĄIntention and growth
Highlights
The importance of joining clubs and extracurriculars during freshman year for making new connections and personal growth.
The variety of student-run organizations available at the activity fair, including theater, academic competitions, and cultural programs.
The realization that extracurriculars play a significant role in college applications and future career prospects.
The overwhelming schedule of a student juggling seven classes and six extracurriculars, leading to physical and mental stress.
The necessity of adjusting one's schedule to maintain a healthy balance between academics, extracurriculars, and personal life.
The high graduation rates in public high schools and the increased competitiveness of higher education.
The financial burden and sacrifice associated with attending college or university in the U.S., including student loan debt.
The average net worth of recent college graduates being negative, highlighting the financial challenges faced by graduates.
The corruption and marketable aspects of the college admissions system, including test preparation courses and admissions specialists.
The recent college admissions fraud case involving payments to secure spots at elite schools.
The societal value placed on education and the consequences of an education system that is locked behind financial barriers.
The effects of the education system on students' mental health, including increased depression, anxiety, and suicide rates.
The introduction of a planner as a simple yet effective tool for organization and stress reduction in a student's life.
The concept of organization and planning as learned skills rather than innate traits, with personalization being key.
The benefits of journaling for memory, communication, and reflective skills, and its connection to organization.
The bullet journal system as a personalized planning method that promotes self-care and self-recognition.
Adapting the bullet journal system to fit one's mindset as a student, leader, and creator.
The three P's approach to planning: taking time for oneself as an investment in growth and intention.
The importance of dividing tasks into general sections and prioritizing them based on urgency and importance.
The process of creating a daily to-do list and gradually moving to weekly or monthly planning for better organization.
The speaker's personal planning system and the invitation to learn more through their website and Instagram.
The final message emphasizing the importance of intention and growth in personal planning and life organization.
Transcripts
[Music]
one of the first things I did my
freshman year was sign up for clubs at
the end of my freshman orientation there
was an activity fair so after an early
morning some questionable experiences
and new people back tivity fara was a
breath of fresh air walking into the
library it was a busy scene the room was
lined with booths and students doing
demos speeches basically anything to get
your name down at their station I was
amazed by all the different things that
I could try there were the classics like
music sports and student government but
there were things I never knew about
entertaining people in a student-run
theater program testing my intelligence
and academic competition or even
immersing myself in the many cultural
programs the greatest appeal is that
these were all student-run organizations
going into this orientation I knew that
clubs and extracurriculars were a great
way to make new connections especially
starting at a new school with more
people than I've ever been used to so
that day I signed up for a couple clubs
I didn't know then how important
extracurriculars were in the long-term
of my future and tied my first meeting
with my counselor a couple of months
later I learned the extracurriculars are
a huge part of my college applications
and that they can provide skills
experiences and connections that can be
useful in my future I can say that this
is pretty true for me as a senior who's
been through the college application
process but as someone who's been
through a job application process I've
met people who've revolved their entire
college application and major around
things that they did in high school so
when I heard this from my counselor I
took it pretty literally so in my first
semester of high school I took seven
different classes and six different
extracurriculars including an instrument
and a sport well looking at the schedule
now I do not know what I was thinking
because of how far I lived from my
school I ended up staying at school
between nine and thirteen hours a day
four days a week for a couple of months
physically I wasn't getting as much
sleep because I was
inflating the work I needed to do once I
got home mentally I was gaining
resentment not only towards the things
that I needed to do but towards the
things that I love to do in my next
semester I quickly adjusted my schedule
but I'm not the only student who does
this students all over the world are
engaging in rigorous classes
extracurriculars while keeping up social
and personal lives we learned that these
aspects contribute to a successful high
school career but why why are students
filling up their plates so much why are
students pushing themselves into a wall
it was found in the 2016 to 2017 school
year that graduation rates in public
high schools reach a high of eighty four
point eight percent and this is the
highest has ever been since it was first
reported now this is great it means that
students are taking their education
seriously enough to move to the next
level it also means that life after high
school has become that much more
competitive especially in the realm of
higher education where attending a
college or university in the u.s. is not
only a burden on many students and
families it's a sacrifice it begs the
question on whether college is a worthy
investment because one of the leading
causes of debt in the u.s. is student
loan debt over 44 million University
graduates will graduate with an average
of 37 thousand one hundred and seventy
two dollars in student loans the u.s.
holds about 1.5 trillion dollars in
loans what do you think the average net
worth of a college graduate is five
thousand ten thousand in 2018 the
average net worth of the most recent
graduating class was negative thirty
nine thousand nine hundred and eighty
four dollars hold on because I'm not
done
cuz college admissions is not only a
system that is a marketable business but
it's riddled with corruption
there's test preparation courses for
college entrance exams
there's college admissions specialists
that know what to put on an application
or an interview there's even financial
aid consultants which ironically cost a
pretty penny for being around to save
money
and this is a big business because the
average cost of these experts is around
$200 an hour it really sheds a light on
how the college admissions system is a
gamble last month we saw one of the
largest college admissions fraud cases
brought to the public about 50 people
paid up to five hundred thousand dollars
to secure spots at elite schools even
with all these faults society still
values in education and in places like
the u.s. education is locked behind the
wall I could go on for hours talking
about how this system needs to change
but what we really need to ask is what
has come from it what are the effects
the consequences because these things
weigh according to a study done by the
Pew Research Center 70% of high school
aged kids say that depression and
anxiety is a major problem for them and
this does not include the many cases
that go unreported each year however the
last couple of years students have lost
on average about two hours of sleep and
how sleep loss can contribute to further
sleep disorders depression mood changes
and more how between 2006 and 2016
suicide rates in high school aged kids
has risen to 70% these things weigh I
think back to those nights sitting in a
lobby all by myself wondering why I was
here and I probably couldn't answer that
to this day
education is changing standards are
rising so how can students adapt how can
they rise with the standards going back
to my freshman orientation there was
something simple and useful I completely
ignored that has made a big change in my
life it had a green glossy cover with
spiral-bound to keep enough with enough
space to keep track of my dates and my
tasks yes I'm talking about a planner I
started keeping a planner in my
sophomore year of high school
and it was like a light went off in my
head because I started seeing all the
unnecessary pressures I was putting on
myself it was the start of a new
interest that has grown to be a big part
of my mindset as a student as well as my
mindset as a functioning person
organization and planning skills are
necessary in life yet has gained an
identity of being unapproachable
unnecessary and almost naturalized and
some people more than others that you're
born picture-perfect and organized well
I hate to break it to you organization
is not a natural trait it's a skill like
reading like writing it's something that
is learned and it's something that's
specific to you think about how many
things that you do in a day are they the
same every day are they the same as the
person next to you
probably not there's no one way to
organize everything and everyone it's a
personal skill but let's take a step
back and answer why organization skills
are necessary the brain most commonly
learns through Association for example I
like dark chocolate because to me it
tastes sweet but for some other people
dark chocolate may taste bitter these
types of Association helps us learn our
taste trade our personality this type of
learning was discovered by Ivan Pavlov
in the fame experiment Pavlov's dogs
this type of Association is how we also
retain information so what do you think
happens when you're constantly bombarded
with new information to retain like a
student ever wonder or ask why teachers
advise you to take notes during class
it's not just extra work the physical
association of the physical act of
writing and the mental app of writing
helps retain information more than
passively listening or watching a
lecture another example of this is
journaling regular stream of conscious
stream of consciousness journaling is
proven to improve memory communication
as well as reflective skills these two
organization and journaling go
hand-in-hand because they both stem from
an intimate type of recording that is
basis in stealth improvement learning
your history and improving it as you go
I've been journaling since I was a kid
and when I started planning I took the
same skills from it
taking my history and learning
from it a planning system I truly
believe in is the bullet journal system
the bullet journal system was created by
writer Carol and is fueled social mania
and new markets with its message it
promotes a personalized planning system
suited to your needs as in life as well
as your mindset he summarizes the system
in three sentences track the past order
the present and design the future at
first I didn't really think that I could
bullet journal why I am severely
artistically challenged and the reason
why is when you type in bullet journal
into social media or into Google you see
these beautifully crafted pieces of art
that are also used to organize exhibit a
it's a little intimidating but I
realized that this was an end result of
the system not the beginning the more I
learned about the bullet journal system
I learned that it was about self care
and about self recognition because when
there are things right in front of you
it's hard to deny all the faults and
errors so right before my junior year I
sat down and mapped out everything that
I wanted to do and I knew to be
successful I had to make some changes so
I ended up giving up my sport which is
one of my biggest commitments because I
knew I was filling time with things that
I did not need it was more than just
relieving myself and giving myself a
peaceful mindset it was having a focus
an intention the bullet journal system
is varied and vast and has different
takes on it all over the world but I
figured out a way to adapt the system
into my mindset as a student as a leader
and as the creator of my own website the
three P's taking the time to taking the
time in yourself is an intention to grow
it's an investment in yourself not
accounting for the unique personalities
in our school system is not only
cheating students out of their potential
it's taking away their chance at
greatness
so you might be wondering with all I've
talked about organization what's my own
plan how do I organize I've a system
that I like to use because I've seen it
not only work for me but for other
people so first take out a piece of
paper and something to write with
I prefer paper to a screen because
there's a certain permanence around a
piece of paper and ink then write down
everything keep it simple line by line
write down all your dates all your tasks
all your thoughts it's called a brain
dump it's a moment in time for you to
relieve everything in your head so you
can start making necessary decisions
once you have your list we need to
divide it up make it a little bit more
easy to see I like to use three or four
general sections for example school /
work personal life and health using
broad sections allows for more
specification later on assign either a
color or a symbol to each of these
sections for example a star for school
and work a square for personal life and
a circle for health go down your list
and mark each item with one of these
symbols or colors once you have your
list divided we need to prioritize
prioritizing is a skill that takes
experience and is morally specific to
you but there are two general questions
that help a lot is this urgent or is
this important the reason I ask these
questions is because it highlights
what's necessary of your mind and of
your time
for example it's important that I
finished my English paper which is due
next week but the urgency of my math
homework outweighs the importance of my
English paper go down your list and mark
each item with either an eye for
important au for urgent or an IU for
important and urgent order mark it at
all another thing to knock off your list
once your list is divided and prioritize
we need to organize start off with a
daily to-do list it has everything that
you need right in front of you once you
get comfortable keeping a daily to-do
list start with a little bit more
general and overview planning with a
weekly planner or a monthly planner and
go on and learn as you go on of
what you like for more information on my
planning system and some trip tips and
tricks please check out my website and
my instagram at the three P's 19 now
I've hope I've inspired some new
organizers and have hope as incited some
new motivation because that's what it is
for me every Sunday morning at my desk
with my notebook and my pens and a good
cup of coffee
I'd like to say that even if you plan
things down beautifully to the last
second it's not about the plan because
sometimes it doesn't go according to
it's all for you it's about taking the
time to make sense of your life of your
interests of your time because taking
this time is an intention and your is an
intention and growth it's and having
this intention to grow leads to
greatness which starts right up here I'd
like you to thank you for your time for
listening
[Music]
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