The Talon’s Fresh Advice
Questions provided by 100% genuine, bona fide FRESHMEN!
By Abigail Lonergan, Class of 2026
Student Question: How would you organize your binders and things for each class?
Abby’s Answer: Minimize the volume. (Sorry if that gives you flashbacks to geometry.) A two-inch binder with folders or dividers works just as well as four half-inch binders, and one thick notebook is better than multiple small ones. When I was a freshman, I used a three-subject notebook, but you might want to go with a five-subject, just in case you actually want to pay attention in Wellness. Finally, you’ll need some way to keep your homework separate from past assignments and notes—otherwise, you’ll find that “out of sight” means “out of mind.” Sticky notes or a planner should do the trick.
Q: Which water fountain in the building works the best? Most of them don't work very well.
A: The water fountains should really have their own section on the Talon homepage. Right after the latest headlines and the sports scores, you’d see “The Daily Down-Low on Plumbing: 1400s running at 0.5 m/s, library 1.3 m/s, locker room 1.7 m/s…”
But I guess you’ll have to get your intel from me for now. And according to me, the most underrated fountains are the one outside the entrance to the 2300s hallway, which fills my 24-oz bottle in one session, and the outdoor fountain at the cafeteria. (The cobwebs may seem off-putting at first, but they almost never drop spiders into your water!)
Q: How do you make sure after your sport you actually do your homework?
A: There’s nothing worse than coming home from a two-hour practice and sitting down to stare at a blank Google Doc. That’s why you should make sure it’s not blank—during AcES or your study, try to answer at least the first question of each assignment so that it’s easier to jump back in later. And when you finally do get home, make sure you’re working somewhere brightly lit and not too comfortable, or you’ll end up using your Chromebook as a pillow.
Q: What days of the week/times in the day does the Talon Club meet?
A: I’m glad you asked! Any aspiring journalists (or photographers, food critics, comic artists, etc.) can come to room 2510 after school on Mondays and Wednesdays to achieve their dreams of small-town renown.
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