Senior Ella Barrie was ascertained that one trait of hers separates her from most people: her ability to eliminate procrastination by anticipating future tasks.

Considering Barrie has maintained a high GPA for over three years at Arrowhead, an academically advanced high school in Hartland, Wisconsin, it’s evident that procrastination does not scream her name. Whether this avoidance of procrastination stems from a strive for excellence or the fear of falling behind, it is a trait of hers that her classmates will forever be impressed by. 

Her strong level of academic perseverance started to develop when she was in middle school. During her last couple years at elementary school, she noticed that coursework was ramping up as she was suddenly being bombarded with assignments, quizzes and tests. This placed a lot of pressure on her, but she learned a safe approach that she could take to ease the feelings of stress: working ahead. 

Barrie described this process to another student who was struggling with keeping up in school. She started off by reminding them of the annual syllabus speech that most teachers give their class on the first day of school. Barrie asked if the student remembered any of their teachers mentioning how they typically organize their coursework in weekly agendas. The student nodded as Barrie followed with her explanation of how she uses this to her advantage: “With the agendas posted early in the week, I am able to look ahead at the assignments listed and get a headstart on them. That way, I’m not so stressed by the time the due dates roll around.” 

She described how at the start of every school week, she typically scrolls through all of her classes' agendas to plan out which assignments she can get an early start on. She shared how she’s not only aware that her method strongly correlates to the good grades she earns on coursework, but also how she is almost certain that it’s responsible for the grades she receives on assessments. Due to the extra amount of time she has available, thanks to previously finishing her coursework, she is left with plenty of time to review tricky concepts and study for upcoming assessments.

After this individual learned about Barrie’s skill, they realized that if all students were to do what she does, there would be much less stress and an overall better performance among high schoolers.