Lock In, Clock In

By Abhijit Sanal '26

Yeah, I get it. You’re gonna “lock in” this year. Maybe you’ll actually do your math homework on time, and read your book for English, but how long are you gonna keep it up? You’re gonna end up just falling back into your bad habits sooner or later. You should just fail everything, to be honest. BUT on a serious note, working isn’t about whether or not you lock in or not. I’m probably not the best person to give this advice, but you can’t just work through something you hate forever. You’re gonna end up burned out, just like last year, unless you switch something up. 

Over the summer, I realized I don’t want to struggle for all four years of my high school, so I realized I needed to find something that works for me. For the last two years, I started out fine during the first two quarters, but that third quarter really kicked my butt. Every other week, I was going crazy with the amount of tests I had; but now, I’ve started to do work when I’m bored. Of course, it’s not quarter three yet, but I feel like I’m on a different trajectory than in the past. 

It’s not really that I like having work, but because I’ve shifted my perspective on doing it. I stopped looking at the work for what it actually is, work, and tried to enjoy it. It sounds stupid, but just bear with me a little. For example, when you write an essay, don’t get a thesis based on what your teacher will like, but try to find something that you actually think is an interesting idea. Concoct a crazy idea, and if you like the idea enough, finishing it won’t be that hard. On the other hand, if I get a science worksheet, I just put on some relaxing music and get it done on my bed.

Eventually, of course, there are tests. Some tests are gonna be really hard, and some will be fine if you did the homework, but regardless, there’s one truth: if you have a test, don’t just grind for it the day before. You gotta do all that studying before, so then you won’t be too stressed, and still get a good score. But if you do end up staying up late to study, you have to realize that there is always a point where you should just go to sleep. 

Of course, your homework and tests definitely matter, but your sleep matters more. Don’t stay up till 1 o'clock doing some stupid, long homework that you forgot about. Just accept you didn’t do it and go to bed. That late at night, you won’t really remember much, and you’re just gonna be messed up for the next day. 

Getting a bad grade is almost guaranteed for everyone, although everyone’s definition of a bad grade is different. If you do end up with a bad grade on a test, or thought a test was hard, don’t worry about it too much. Stressing about something you can’t change can only make things worse. Just accept it, don’t think about it until you’re calm again, and when you do, think rationally about how you can improve the next time. Everyone messes up from time to time, just try not to make it a habit.

Don’t try to take on too many things in a day, though; just take things at your own pace. And that goes for pretty much everything; if you don’t feel like studying, take a break, come back to it when you feel better, or switch to a different kind of work. If you’re stuck on the math homework, try finishing your English homework, and maybe by the end of that, your mind will be better prepared to do the math. 

If you’re not in the right mindset to do work, forcing yourself through it will probably make you tired and hate the class. A lot of people end up doing work they absolutely hate, and they end up completely burned out by the end of the year, but you just gotta remember that you have time. You can do the homework later that day, you can go get something to eat if you’re tired. Don’t get so consumed in the little details that you forget how much flexibility you really have. School’s tough, but if you build up the right systems, you’ll be able to get through it and have fun.