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SCMP Reporter

Manage your time to include rest
We are not machines, but sometimes I think we pretend to ourselves we are.
In order to perform at our best, we need adequate rest. But a lot of my classmates go to sleep very late, and some of them choose not to sleep at all.
I think the reason is pressure at school, combined with homework, and the need for  exam revision.
In actual fact, though, our bodies and minds need rest to recover. Prolonged lack of rest can lead to health problems, which can affect our performance in class.
The answer is time management, which unfortunately many of us don't seem to be very good at.
Draw up a timetable for managing your time, so that you have time to do what is necessary and also get enough rest.
With the right time management, I think we can all  do well in our exams and not feel so tired.
Tim Ng Pak-sun, SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School
Find ways to control your temper
All of us get into bad moods from time to time, just as we are sometimes in good moods.
But anger is a mood that can be controlled. First of all, try taking slow, deep breaths. I find this very helpful.
Exercise, such as badminton and running, also helps. Dancing is another way to let off steam.
I personally find that singing along with music helps, too, as does taking a bath.
If you have a pet,  such as a dog, you can play with it or  take it for a walk, which is very good anger therapy.
Whatever you do, don't give in to your anger. It's a negative emotion.
Cheung Moon-ling, St Antonius Girls' College
Buy a flag and give to charity
On weekends, you often see people on the streets selling flags for charity.
For a long time, I just walked past these people.
But one morning, not so long ago, I came across a crowd of primary school students  and their parents  outside Fanling station.
They were selling their flags so enthusiastically I felt touched, and without thinking, I took a HK$5 coin from my wallet and bought a flag.
I received such a warm and sincere 'thank you' that I felt my donation was more than worth it.
In fact, I felt so good, I decided to sell flags myself. In the beginning I felt  disappointed because the first few passersby said, 'No'. But then a small boy asked if he could buy a flag for HK$2, and from that moment I felt good about what I was doing.
I think, rather than saving our coins in jars, we should donate our change to charity by buying flags.
It will make you feel good, make the flag seller feel good, and it will do some good for somebody else who needs it.
Jessica Kwun
You can hurt your friends by teasing
I read a letter 'Consider other people's feelings'  (Young Post, October 6).
It got me thinking.
I have three very close friends at school. The three of us are always teasing  each other and we love playing tricks on each other.
However, I recently discovered that we were actually hurting a girl we played tricks on.
We all thought she enjoyed being teased because she laughed, so I was shocked when a classmate told us she was quite depressed and even losing her self-confidence.
I felt ashamed that my friends and I had made our classmate feel this way.
I began to think carefully before saying anything that might hurt someone.
It also made me think about paparazzi and gossip magazines and all the hurtful things that get said about celebrities.
Perhaps if we all thought a little more before we said and did things, Hong Kong would be a better place.
Kera Wong, HKSYC & IA Wong Tai Shan Memorial College
Avoid comparing yourself with others
All too often, I think, we spend too much time comparing ourselves. Who is the cleverest? Who is the most beautiful? Who is the best athlete?
I know that comparisons  like this make us more competitive, but they are meaningless.
We don't have to compare ourselves to anyone.
We all have our unique qualities and merits, and we simply have to use them to the best of our abilities.
Comparing ourselves to others can end up creating negative feelings, even to the extent that we no longer have self-confidence.
We have to remind ourselves that there's no need to be number one.
We just need to be our own personal best.
Yuen tsz-nga, Yuen Long Merchants Association Secondary School
Time to  take action on small-class policy
As a student, I understand the benefits of small-class teaching. First of all, teachers are able to devote more attention to each student.
Secondly, there are increased opportunities for interaction among students.
A lot of learning  happens when there are discussions and ideas are shared.
I cannot accept the Education Bureau's explanation that there is a lack of classroom space for small-class teaching.
The problem  can be easily overcome, and the bureau should allow schools to have classes of 25 to 30 students.
Classroom rotation is also a solution; there are always empty classrooms in schools.
In my opinion, a small-class teaching policy should be implemented  in all schools immediately.
Nick Tsang Lai-hon, Stewards MKMCF Ma Ko Pan  Memorial College



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