Reply to Sleep Deprivation and High Achieving Student

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[quote=Anonymous]Truthfully, no one should enter a magnet program (especially a HS magnet, where GPA counts) without a plan to be very focussed towards fitness, sleep, nutrition and rest.   You cannot be a super-student if you are not entering the program with a plan to be your best physically and mentally so that you can get the best out of the program. Frankly, in life, you cannot be a super achiever, a super parent, a super worker etc - if you do not treat your body very well. Since there is no extra time in the magnet program to waste, most students who are not well organized in their studies and in their health will suffer (at least physically).

To draw a parallel, in the navy there is the basic training and then there is the training for Navy Seals.   If a regular HS program is like doing the basic training then doing the magnet program is like training to be a navy seal.

If your child is not the athletic type get them into some exercises that they can do at home - treadmill, yoga, breathing exercises, stretches etc. You cannot expect that you will have the routine of a regular HS kid and do the magnet program.  You have to do more work and endure more physically and mentally, so you have to be strategic.  I was watching a documentary about Tom Brady and the amount of work that man puts in every day to be at peak physical condition is the reason he is still a top athlete at 40.

So being in magnet is all about having a strategy for studying and being focussed  &  taking care of your body and your brain.  It also helps if you are not starting the program with areas of weakness academically. Yes, even top MCPS students have gaps in knowledge because of the terrible curriculum and other classroom issues.  Use the summer to review past learning and maybe even get a bit ahead for the next year.  Magnet programs are not the best if you are playing catch up in knowledge gaps.  Be honest and strategic and be prepared to move down a level in your choice of courses if it is too hard for you (ie - no need to do calc in the 10th grade, don't take all APs, don't do SAT subject tests if your target schools do not ask for it). Interestingly, I know a few students who actually took the easy health and tech courses during the school year. It allowed them to have an easy class in their schedule and they were quite happy with that.  Yes, a lot of the socialization and leisure time will be curtailed. It is inevitable in the program. Health and academics takes precedence over video games and social media.

My magnet kids do not have chores during the school year.  They do chores during summer.  Both my kids can do laundry, iron clothes, cook food, sweep, vacuum and mop. This is not rocket science.

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