March 13 2020

By Karina Leung

Believe it or not, the number of hours we sleep can affect our skin. Keeping our skin smooth and shiny is part of keeping ourselves healthy. Simple changes to how we eat and stay active every day can help achieve better results. In these 3 steps, you can start your journey to having a brighter and healthier skin in no time. 

Continue reading Basics to Clean Skin →

Sunday, March 8th, 2020

By Amani Soorty

Traditionally, a grade 12 student every year in our school sets up a social media account called something along the lines of “ympromdress2020”. In November of this year, a mysterious student, whom no one knows the name of, took charge and created a platform for a lack of “dupes” or for ladies of YM to share their dresses to avoid anyone else getting the same style. Contradictory, there has been a large number of girls getting similar styles of a body con V-neck with the same leg slit. Not all girls are on this account, but the account tries to follow as many seniors as possible in order for no one to be left out.  “It helps organize our looks and represents the styles of York Mills and what is popular” (Rosalie Wang). Regardless of this, the dress account is widely discussed and girls get to celebrate getting their prom dresses with each other on every new post. This dress account represents Girls Supporting Girls, perfect to discuss International Women’s Day this year. 

Monday, March 9th, 2020

By Amani Soorty

Improving student’s relationships with teachers has important, positive and long-lasting effects on our schoolwork and lives in the future. So why is it that some people draw the lines of their friendships with teachers about celebrating their birthday? Most teachers I spoke to prefer to just get enough wishes to move on with their lessons with minimal distractions, while others appreciate when students see them as “people as well” and are okay with small disruptions from class. On the other side of the spectrum, many students genuinely care for their teacher’s or supervisor’s well-being at York Mills and this relationship is known to help us, as students, improve our daily lives and social networking in the future. A fun example of how to stay respectful yet show you care is through making a card themed to one of their interests and the entire class writing sweet messages. This is an easy yet meaningful way to show you care. Next, the science department is always for more fish and fish tanks for their mini aquarium; just ask Miss Wong about what would be appropriate! And as always, singing Happy Birthday all day makes them as awkward as when they sing to you, so try to stay inside the boundaries. This environment where a school is only for studying minimizes our contact and learning about the people around us. It is always important to be kind and build relationships as these are the people helping to shape you and responsible for your learning experience in high school so appreciate them in ways you can!

By: Elizabeth Xu

Jan 29, 2020

Procrastination affects everyone. We all know that it’s harmful but we don’t do anything about it. If it’s because we don’t know how to overcome it here are six “surefire methods” of overcoming procrastination according to an expert.

1. Set written goals

We’re more likely to stop procrastinating if we write down our goals. “When they’re written, they become more real and concrete,” states R.L Adams. When your goals are only in your mind, you tend to forget or lose motivation. Therefore, you should write your goals down, a deadline and a reason why you want to reach your goal. In doing so, you give yourself inspiration and a reason that can help you overcome your natural tendencies of procrastinating. 

2. Write out a plan

“When we have a plan for our goals, we’re far more likely to follow through and overcome procrastination. We’re less likely to get distracted when we’ve detailed out the steps needed to take to achieve our dreams.” 

3. 15 min rule

This step is extremely helpful if you find yourself procrastinating. It consists of simply telling yourself to do a task for 15 minutes only. You’ll probably end up working over 15 minutes and have enough momentum to finish your task.

4. Effectively manage your time

This strategy was developed and used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Stephen R. Covey author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  What you’ll need to do is write down your goals and put them in the appropriate quadrant. If you ever start procrastinating, pick a goal in quadrant 2, the long-term goal-related quadrant, and start doing it.

5. Change your environment

Whether it’s the library or Starbucks, by changing your environment, you’ll be far more able to focus and concentrate without all the everyday distractions surrounding you. While this won’t entirely eliminate procrastination, it will help to short-circuit some of those existing neural pathways that lend themselves to distractions. This includes excessively watching television, over-indulging in social media, chatting on the phone, snacking, and so on. 

6. Join forces with a friend

It’s always easier to do something supported. That’s why you should get a friend that can help motivate you and remind you of your goal whenever you feel lazy.