Women Gymnastics and School

[gymnastralo]

Does anyone ever feel like completely stressed out cause you have a test, an essay, and you cant miss practice O and lets not forget that book you have to finish reading, and the 30 math problems you have to do ect.

Im a junior in HS and BOY O BOY! Im feeling the stress... im trying to keep my grades up to be elibale for a specific merit scholarship im looking into, and taking honors and an AP class. And then you have college stuff you have to start looking into and SATS and ACTS!

Sorry about the vent...

Im looking for ways to organize my life a little. Anyone have any tips? How do you get your work done, and done effectivly? How do you not stay up till 2am studying and doing hw? (my days are just so busy! im up at 5:30am:/ )

HELP PLEASE

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I know how you feel...my classes start at 6 am and I get home from gym at 9 pm...basically I use all of my free time to get homework done. If you sit in the back of an easier class, do homework. This is my #1 tip, sorry parents and teachers. My #2 tip is to spend your lunch time doing work, especially if you can use computers in the library during that time. You can eat while you read, or perhaps one of your teachers will let you eat an apple or something non-distracting in class. Do homework in the mornings before school. Study like a madwoman on the nights you don't have practice and on weekends.

Basically just front-load majorly. If you get it all done ahead of time, like on a weekend, then you don't need to feel stressed. Plan out essays ahead of time, like if you're bored in class or in the car. Also, you may want to take only the SAT. Almost all colleges accept the SAT, but not all take the ACT. For AP classes, keep all your notes and review periodically. Doing the reading every night is probably the most important de-stressing tip - a single reading generally isn't too much, but if you have to catch up, it's overwhelming. Review books and online quizzes really help. Also, remember that school comes FIRST - before gym and before friends. I can't count how many times I've turned down an offer to go to a party because I had a bunch of projects due.

 

[gymgurl]

I know how you feel, I just started year 12 (equivalent of senior year) and everything has started to count now. e.g. I have assessments that contribute to final grade. I am expected to do 3-4 hours of hw every night.

I find myself very organised and manage to get almost everything done. I have never never never stayed up past 11 doing assignments. ever. What i do is I write up all my hw in a diary on the day it is given and then on the day it is due i will write in my diary French Due. This helps keep things in perspective. Say you have an 1000 word essay due in a week and you are freaking out about that but you have a small 20mins of algebra questions due tomorrow it will make it easier to prioritise. Also, write out a timetable and have everything in your week a different colour e.g. school is blue, gym is green etc. Then allocate time for hw, assignments, revision. Be creative with your time e.g. if you find that at gym you are there early, take some maths questions, do your reading on the bus etc. on non gym days i get home snack and go straight to work and first I allocate time for each bit of hw e.g. 20mins french, 30mins maths 40mins english. I do not go over this time unless it is a major assessment that I haven't finished. Get a cork pin board and stick up all assessment notifications so you can see what you need to do quickly. Do not waste any time! plan for one day off from studying every week (i don't but many people do) otherwise you will burn out. If you really have to much work its okay to miss the odd training session. School (well for me anyway) always comes first. Assessments = no gym, too much work = no gym. School comes first, then commitments and then leisure stuff

 

[gymkat]

Almost all colleges accept the SAT, but not all take the ACT.

I don't know of any colleges that don't accept the ACT. Some might require SAT II tests, but I believe they all accept the ACT instead of the regular SAT.

Do homework every spare second, whether that's at the lunch table, on the bus, between classes, while eating a snack, etc. Also, you can try to get assignments ahead of time and finish them on weekends. If you can balance high school and gymnastics, life is much easier in college.

 

[bribri514]

The rule of thumb that I hear is schools on the coasts are more likely to take the SAT, and more private schools, and schools in the interior of the country are more likely to take the ACT, especially big state schools. In my state (Colorado) we took the ACT junior year as part of the standardized testing program and some colleges let us use that score which was awesome because it was free. The only kids at my school who took the SAT were those who knew they were applying to private schools I went to college in Utah originally and only needed an ACT score, not an SAT score. I then transferred to a school in DC but they also take the ACT not the SAT (exception to the rule, the school is Gallaudet, the other major DC schools take the SAT I think).

As far as school and gym I totally understand. I started training L 10 in 6th grade and my gym was about 60 miles from my house and through the middle of the mountains so it always snowed (September through May pretty much) and it was an awful drive. I really had to get good at time management. I found using time at school is the best. My mom is a teacher and so my sister and I would have to be at school by 6:30 am at the latest with her so we'd spend the morning doing work. Then I had a class that was for my IEP (special education program) and I met with a tutor to go over things. I got a lot of work done then. I also tried to get a class period being a teacher's aid, even in middle school. If your school lets you do that, try because I got a lot of work done then too. I'd leave at 3 pm to go to gym and didn't get home until 9 or 10 pm. I could also do homework if I needed to then but I usually didn't. I got all my "little work" like daily math problems and English questions done this way.

Also I spent the weekend doing a Saturday practice, hanging out with friends and family and also spending time organizing all my homework. I kept a planner that my teachers all had to sign off on for my IEP. I also kept a dry erase calender in my room at home to make sure I stayed organized. This helped a lot. For big projects I would plan out just a bit to do day by day so I didn't need a chunk of time to do it. My mom never ever let us go to practice if we were behind in school and outside of big meets we weren't allowed to miss school for gym or to catch up on schoolwork we missed because of gym. I think once I got an extension on a paper because I had ear surgery. But even for nationals I had my work due when I was gone turned in early.

By the time I got to college it was easy to organize gymnastics and school. At the DI level they give you tutors and an academic resource center and make you have study room hours and really help a lot with any school problems.

I'm not insanely smart at all, I only took a few honors classes (bio, chem and psych) unlike some gymnasts I know. But I managed to keep my grades up and do well. So if I can do it, anyone can!!!

 

[gymfreak2012]

I totally know how you feel! Even though I am just in 8th grade, I still feel your pain. Most of the time I just want to leave practice early just so I can relax....I mean, it helps knowing that you have no homework to do when you get home at 8:30pm!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Even though you feel stressed out your gymnastics is probably helping your grades more than hurting them. The type of body movements you do in gymnastics creates new pathways in your brain which improves your memory, retention and learning skills. So you are going to be able to take more in than the average student in class which will help with your tests.

Also gymnastics forces you to be organized, you know you have limited time so you use it better. There are some kids in your class who don't do any extra activities, they have the most time to do assignments but are far more likely to put it off until they run out of time.

 

[Alvarado81]

I'm sure that the more you do the more you are able to do! Gymnastics helps you to be more organized, concerned. But I feel so sorry you are so stressed! Frankly speaking I've never tried this kind of sport myself, but now my little daughter is just on her way of becoming a part of this sport, so I'm really anxious about her study. So actually I really don't know how you girls to have time to everything, but I am proud of you! So wish you luck in your future victories!

 

[Granny Smith]

I am not a student, but a parent. My dd is a Sophomore in HS, so I do understand your workload. I ask her on the way to gym if she has a lot of homework (this would include needing to study for upcoming tests). If she answers yes, I then ask if she needs to leave practice early. If so, I then either speak with the coach or leave the coach a note stating that dd will be leaving early tonight due to school work. Academics always come first, period. Coach may not always like it, but we don't take advantage of the situation and she agrees that academics are first! Oh, and the week of exams, well that's a given, she leaves early every night before an exam.

If you are stressed and your school work is the culprit, have a parent speak to a coach about leaving early. One thing I did learn is that I tell the coach that she will be leaving early and why, I don't sound wishy-washy and ask permission for her to leave.

 

[notjustgym]

Like Granny, My DD is a Sophomore in high school. She is feeling the same pressures are you are. A couple things she has found helpful is to use all class time to her advantage, rather than visiting with friends if there is free time tries to get as much homework done. She also write lists and prioritize her work. If she has 5 questions in Spanish, and 5 problems in Math, she might do those 1st cuz she knows she can get 2 things checked off her list in a very short time.

She takes a study hall , Her High school offers a Zero hour so she can go to school basically before everyone, gets a class done and can fit a study hall in her school day.

She also talks with her coaches and will leave early or come in a bit late if she has a lot of work. She typically will miss the 'conditioning part' of practice and make up the rest.

We have also had a few times when she has had to miss a whole practice but then she had the option of taking a private to make up for it.

She did make a decision to only take honors courses in classes that she enjoys. She could have taken AP History/ or Honors history but it is harder for her. So rather than putting that pressure on herself she chose to take a "regular' history class.

School comes first, My DD has said that to her coach as well.

Remember, you only get 1 high school experience. Don't overwork yourself too much, make time to enjoy it!

 

[bookworm]

My daughter has always taken advantage of every ounce of free time at school (lunch, free period, assemblies etc) to do homework...we have always had a second set of books in the car and she takes her computer with us so she can do homework in the car as well. What has helped her immensely has been doing a lot of her homework on the weekends so that during the week, it's just new stuff that needs to be done.

 

[gym law mom]

Making lists of work to be done is great advice. Also try getting a large calendar you can put up on a wall so you can see when things are due. My gymmie also uses lunches and any free time in a class to get some homework done. Work ahead as much as possible. If you get an essay assigned 1 week before its due, start to work on it then---same with reviewing for tests. Depsending on the subject you might be able to make flashcards to use for review and those can be pulled out at any time.
As others have said, if you have alot of work, then leave practice early. School does come first.

 

[GetaGrip]

I definitely know what you're talking about! Currently I'm a sophmore in hs, and a level 8 in season right now. Although my coaches are very sympathetic about the homework loads we are given, it's still really hard to juggle both.

I only have six classes right now, one AP one honors, but next year I will be taking EIGHT classes, three AP two honors. This along with the fact that I will be trying to compete level 9 next year makes me a little worried, but to be honest, I like a little bit of pressure. On the plus side, three of my classes are online, so I'll get out of school at 1:30!

Also, I write down absolutely every single homework/assignment I have in my phone as reminders. Since I carry my phone with me everywhere, it makes it a lot easier to remember everything so I don't fall behind.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I've already shared my thoughts on this, but I'd just like to share that my school is instituting a staggered school day system next year to deal with overcrowding. So, I'll start school at 7:00 and get out at 1:20 or 2:20 (depending on whether I have P.E. that trimester). It's going to be a great relief, as for part of this year my school day went from 6:00-3:20. If schools offer a system like this, it could be very helpful for gymnasts! You can leave early and get a lot of homework done before practice, have some rest and some food. Another thing you can do, for high school and middle school students, is to try to get an open period last period so you can leave early or get HW done.

 

[MaryA]

Our state has lots of Cyber Charter Schools, which are free and they even provide you with a laptop and internet connection at home. While I don't think I'd ever want to pull my daughter out of "regular" school completely, one of the level 10 gymnasts at her gym takes a mix of "regular" and cyber charter classes. For example, she takes health class via charter, and is allowed to use her gym time as phys ed credit through the cyber charter but not through the regular high school. She is able to finish her school day early and is able to rest and eat before gym. I think she mostly does her cyber classes over the weekends. I could definitely see doing that when DD is older if she's still in gym. She's only in 5th grade now and already I feel like she needs a couple of extra hours in her day.

 

[fliptwisttwirl]

I'm a sophomore in high school. And I have a system that works pretty well. Home is for sleeping, gym is for gymnastics, and homework and schoolwork are for school. I take all ap (advanced placement) classes so I generally have an hour or two of homework assigned each day. But I know if I get home and try to cram it in a night than I'm just too tired the next day to pay attention in class and have a successful workout. Instead I do my homework everyday during lunch and extra time in classes like the last 10 minutes or so after the teacher's done with his/her lesson. If I have more homework than usual then I just ask one of my teachers if it's okay if I work on my homework during their class as long as I listen while I do it. They are all aware of my gymnastics schedule and are good with compromising. It's hard sometimes to do homework during lunch because I don't usually get to go out with my friends but I know the sacrifice is worth it! Then from 3-8 I go to the gym and work out without having to think or worry about anything else. I get home at about 8:30 and eat, ice my back, shower, and then straight to bed. It might not work for everyone, but it definitely works for me!

 

[wallinbl]

Our state has lots of Cyber Charter Schools, which are free and they even provide you with a laptop and internet connection at home. While I don't think I'd ever want to pull my daughter out of "regular" school completely, one of the level 10 gymnasts at her gym takes a mix of "regular" and cyber charter classes. For example, she takes health class via charter, and is allowed to use her gym time as phys ed credit through the cyber charter but not through the regular high school. She is able to finish her school day early and is able to rest and eat before gym. I think she mostly does her cyber classes over the weekends. I could definitely see doing that when DD is older if she's still in gym. She's only in 5th grade now and already I feel like she needs a couple of extra hours in her day.

Around here, you can substitute high school classes with classes from the local community/junior college. Those are usually online, so it's easier to work into your schedule, and you'll get out of high school one period earlier for each class you're doing this way. The upshot is that you get some of your general education college credit done early. I've seen a few kids (not gymnasts) finish high school with an AA degree.

 

[elitegymnast]

you are definitely not the only one. I'm going on to level 8 and im in grade 6 with us if you miss 1 training session you have to wait a year before you come back and you have to start at level 1

 

[pattymello]

you are definitely not the only one. I'm going on to level 8 and im in grade 6 with us if you miss 1 training session you have to wait a year before you come back and you have to start at level 1

I don't quite believe this.

 

[bribri514]

you are definitely not the only one. I'm going on to level 8 and im in grade 6 with us if you miss 1 training session you have to wait a year before you come back and you have to start at level 1

I agree with the previous poster as far as not believing this bit about a L 8 being sent back to L 1 for missing one practice at all. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think Australia had the same level system (1... well mostly 3/4-10) like the US JO program either. I didn't think you went as high as 8 down there and when you were at the advanced levels working towards elite, you competed at your state's institute of sport program. Could an Australian chime in here? Ori is it possible you're in a recreational program that is organized like that and the difference between levels isn't much at all?

I see you're new to CB. Welcome! But please do not misrepresent yourself/lie. We might have to give you warnings or possibly ban you for behavior like this. We welcome all levels of gymnasts, from junior elite to adults who are learning to do cartwheels. Don't be ashamed to be honest about your gymnastics background, you won't be any less a part of the CB.