Hello Bronx Science! 

We, the Editors-in-Chief and Managing Editors of 2025-2026 Science Survey are here to offer some advice on developing good habits, navigating academic and personal choices, and making the most of fun places around New York City. As the academic year is halfway over and with the college process wrapping up, staying on top of your work and having time to rest is more important than ever.

Best, Olive Forman-Sarno ’26, Alexandra Ghile ’26, Wasif Habib ’26, Liah Igel ’26, Madison Kang ’26, Bethany Karlinsky ’26, Sophia Nguyen ’26, Anthony Ortega Bravo ’26, Sarah Rubinstein ’26, Sasha White ’26, and Jiangzhuo Wu ’26.

Sasha White: What are some music recommendations to listen to while studying? 

For me, choosing the right music to study is based on the subject that I am working on. Some subjects, like math, require complete silence for me to be able to focus, while other subjects can be filled with fun, motivational beats. 

When a subject is based mainly on memorization, such as history class, I tend to study better with music. I listen to songs conveying positive or uplifting themes, which motivate me to continue to take in information. In fact, when you listen to music, your brain can use the rhythm and melody to create mnemonic anchors, specific cues, like a rhyme or a phrase, that can help you remember a larger set of information. Then, during the test, I find that I can retrieve information more easily. Subjects such as Calculus or Physics – for me, at least – require a deep understanding of the content, including small, niche rules that are often complex to understand. Studying for these requires my full focus, and if I’m listening to music, hearing words in the songs can be distracting. In this case, I switch to instrumental music or music that can blend in as background noise. This can be classical music, such as 12 Études, Op. 10: No. 1 in C Major “Waterfall“” by Frédéric Chopin and Maurizio Pollini, or the playlists on Spotify of “Customers in a coffee shop” on repeat. It sounds silly, but it can actually provide an added layer of focus! 

Last year, I strayed from my usual studying techniques; my friends and I discovered the children’s song ‘Le Poisson Steve.’ We decided to try to use it to study – even though that was probably the last thing that one would use it for. We put the song on repeat, and after the 36th time listening to it, I was tired. I knew the words and I wanted it to stop, so I started to tune out the song. In this way, I was actually able to study and focus on my work. When I finished my work, I rewarded myself by stopping the music. However, I do still love the song regardless – studying with it is just a cool tactic I’ve found to work. Techniques like this don’t always work, but if you find a similar song – like Mario Kart music – it can help you lock into your studying. 

Here are some recommendations from other high school students at Bronx Science:

Abhinav Akella ’26 recommends ‘16′ by Baby Keem, a Hip Hip and R&B track.

Jade Brito ’26 comments that her favorite song for studying is in the folktronica genre: ‘Wake Me Up’ by Avicii.

Liah Igel’s ’26 favorite is ‘Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor’ by Sergei Rachmaninoff. 

Others recommend ‘Thirst Trap’ by Audrey Hobert, loopable rain sounds, and ‘Experience’ by Ludovico Einaudi, Daniel Hope, and I Virtuosi Italiani.

Everyone enjoys vastly different genres of study music, and no song from this list is proven by science to create a definitive change in test scores or focus. Some general genres, such as instrumental music, or lo-fi, and ambient music, are recommended for improving concentration and focus. As a senior at Bronx Science, I can say that these genres can be beneficial in specific scenarios! 

But it is important to find what works best for you, which may not be what I recommend, or what other Bronx Science students enjoy. I have listed some recommendations above, and maybe they can help you build your perfect study playlist.

Bethany Karlinsky: What are the best places to eat near school that are under $10.00?

I know that after the hours of studying and exams that come with being a Bronx Science student, I am always left hungry for something more than cafeteria snacks to refuel. Fortunately, there are plenty of cheap food spots to treat yourself to around school. 

The most accessible places to find food are Ned and Jay’s food trucks, parked right outside the school building. Jay’s truck is the dark red one, labelled “El Gran Campeón,” which has great meal and snack options for all hours of the day. In the morning, you can stop by for a coffee, muffin, bagel, or orange juice. During lunchtime, the truck has a wide variety of choices and cuisines, from burritos and quesadillas to gyros and pasta cutlets. There are also plenty of different snacks to choose from, including potato chips and gum. While the truck only accepts cash, its accessibility and quality make it a Science staple. 

Ned’s food truck, branded under “Habibi Halal Express,”​​ is also right in front of the school. It serves more classic American foods, like chicken tenders and burgers. It also has a wide selection of candies, drinks, and snacks. Ned’s food truck is especially convenient as it accepts credit cards and Apple Pay, as well as cash. 

Further from the school, near Lehman College, is the “official” Habibi Halal Express, another affordable option. While it primarily sells halal food, there are a variety of proteins to choose from, making it accessible for everyone, no matter your diet or allergy. I prefer ordering chicken or falafel, but there are also other meats like lamb. 

Near DeWitt Clinton High School, are more commercial spots. From Starbucks and Dunkin to Chipotle and KFC, there are plenty of cheap fast food places to choose from. There is also the famous $1.00 pizza place, Corner Pizza, likely the cheapest eatery near school.

No matter your food preferences, there are plenty of delicious places to eat near Bronx Science. Whether you are looking for a big lunch or a quick snack, you are sure to find something to energize you for the rest of the day.

Anthony Ortega: How can I lower my daily screen time? 

Lowering your screen time isn’t as easy as just turning off your phone and leaving it in a locked crate–at least for most of us. We all need to be checking e-mails and text messages from important people, and using our screens to get work done. What we can do to limit our screen time is to improve other factors of our time management that can indirectly or directly lead to lower screen times. 

This can make or break your entire school nights, and I say this from personal experience. Oftentimes I would tell myself “one 10-minute break wouldn’t hurt,” but that one 10-minute break would become a 2-hour break with 10 minutes pauses for work to be done. The obvious remains true: you must limit distractions, silence notifications, and keep your phone at a distance. 

However, in addition to this, you should also keep a clean workspace or change environments every now and then. Working at a clean and organized desk or a coffee shop with an ambience of your choosing would motivate you much more to stay focused on your work than if you were at a messy, candy-wrapper filled desk. Clean environments can also help to reduce the clutter inside your head and feelings of anxiousness, which has been shown to be closely related with how clean your surroundings are. This boost in productivity would help you get your assignments done more significantly faster than usual.

Secondly, it is important to separate your “work time” from “social time,” both physically and mentally. When you are about to start an assignment, create an inner environment for yourself where you leave every thought from the outside world out of your mind, then create an outer environment where it is only you, your backpack, computer, and writing utensils. This way, your subconscious can create a mental barrier between when you are about to work and when you have free time. For this, I recommend having someone to keep you accountable, whether it be your parents, siblings, or even friends. That way, you have someone looking over your shoulder making sure you are working on what needs to be done first before goofing off. 

Follow these steps, and you’ll be able to get closer to finishing assignments promptly and spend less time on a computer screen. But what about after all the work has been done? Everyone deserves a break after long hours of homework, especially at Bronx Science, so an hour of media consumption is excusable. However, if it is late at night, you should always prioritize your sleep. You risk too much by falling victim to “revenge doomscrolling,” where you use your phone well past midnight in order to avoid the fear of missing out or to feel like you are in control of how you spend your time and not your homework assignments. 

Sleep is a non-negotiable as your performance decreases significantly: no amount of energy drinks would recover the amount of processing power lost in an all-nighter, though it might certainly feel like it. I know it’s hard to be able to balance screen-time with proper rest, especially at a school like Bronx Science, but try your best and you will see improvements in your mental and physical health just by lowering your daily screen time. 

Sarah Rubinstein: What order of doing homework gives the least amount of stress? 

• Make a list. 

I know what you’re thinking: you already do this. Maybe you quickly type up your homework in your notes app, or messily jot it down in your school planner. Whatever the case may be, I urge you to sit down when you get home, find a blank piece of paper, and write out every homework assignment you have with a check box next to it and an estimated time frame of how long it will take you to complete it right next to each assignment. Now you have accomplished two things: a clear plan of what you have to do and figured out how long it will take to do it. This will help encourage you to keep going, now that you have completed two tasks before the work has even begun.

• Start with the hardest assignment. 

This seems very counter intuitive but I promise you it is one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received. Let’s face it: most of us get home at around 5:00 p.m. We start out with a bit of energy, enough to complete maybe our math homework and finish up the summary questions on the back of a biology lab. But once it’s time to start writing that five paragraph English essay due tomorrow or study for your Spanish test, you’re completely burnt out. I know it’s tempting to crank out the easy stuff first – I agree that it can occasionally help build up your momentum. However, once I made the switch to starting with the assignment I wanted to do the LEAST, it became much easier to finish my work. After the hard assignment was done, I was grateful to just have simpler assignments left. The feeling of my workload getting lighter instead of heavier (as the difficulty level decreases instead of increasing) reduced my anxiety significantly.

• Positive self talk is the key to success. 

Make sure you are encouraging yourself as you make your way through your list; take breaks when needed, enjoy snacks as you work, and treat yourself with respect. When you are feeling dejected, it is important to build yourself up. Remind yourself that you are doing a lot of great work and that you are trying your best. You got this, and know that you’re not alone!

 Jiangzhuo Wu: What extracurriculars are worth the time and which are not (as it pertains to college and finding your place/passion in high school)?

When it comes time to choose what extracurriculars to commit to, it’s important to value both what you enjoy and what could help you with your aspirations in the future.

For finding extracurriculars within school, I’d recommend looking through the master club list. It has every club listed along with its room number and meeting days. Most clubs have an Instagram account, so I’d suggest going through that to get a general sense of what the club is like. You shouldn’t limit yourself to activities just within school, either. It’s important to branch out and engage in extracurriculars outside of school, such as volunteer work.

Choosing an activity that you enjoy will always work out in your favor because it keeps you motivated to stay committed. It’s much easier to continue something that you have fun doing rather than something that you don’t. This also helps with avoiding burnout because the extracurricular could be something you do as a hobby when you want to actually rest. 

Of course, you should also choose an extracurricular activity that helps you with what you want to pursue in the future. This is so you can develop certain skills needed in that field early on and develop a better overall understanding. Joining an extracurricular related to a field you’re interested in can also help you realize whether you really want to pursue it in the future. If, during your time doing the activity, you lose interest, then find something else that you want to explore. Although commitment is important, you should always be open to trying new things. Nothing is set in stone yet, so really take some time to explore your options.

Liah Igel: What are the best places to bike around New York City?

New York City is, without a doubt, one of the best places to explore by bike. Each borough is full of dozens of surprises, combining different cultures and unique locations to admire our diverse city’s art. As an avid biker myself, I strongly urge you to take advantage of our city’s bike-friendly paths and neighborhoods and venture out!

The most popular destination for biking is definitely Central Park. With beautiful flora and fauna spread throughout the Ramble (a 36-acre stretch of dense forest in Central Park) and tons of landmarks to visit, it’d be impossible to cover everything. I recently wrote an article about my personal favorite underrated spots in Central Park as well as the popular locations, which you can find HERE if you’re interested in learning more.

There are many other fascinating places that I’ve loved visiting in New York City. Biking on the Brooklyn Bridge, the outlook on the East River is absolutely breathtaking. You can see the Manhattan Bridge, the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings, the Statue of Liberty, and New York City’s bustling skyline. And, once you cross the other side, there are tons of tasty restaurants you can stop by along your route. Brooklyn also has a Waterfront Greenway trail that’s about 26 miles long, with stops like the Red Hook, Sunset Park, and Bay Ridge neighborhoods on the way, as well as National Parks including the Naval Cemetery Landscape, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bush Terminal Park and Pier, Erie Basin Park, Owl’s Head Park, Plumb Beach, and Shore Parkway. 

Another underrated route is along the entirety of the Upper West side; there’s a distinct bike path running all the way from Battery Park up to Dyckman street. If you start downtown, you’ll bike by places like Inspiration Point, a scenic spot on the Palisades, the Intrepid, a museum full of Space Shuttles and old Military ships, the Highline, where you can hop off your bike and walk through multiple other museums, and a ton of parks, including the Battery, Hudson, and Riverside parks. As you continue along the lane, you’ll see the Hudson River in all its glory and plenty of recreational facilities like playgrounds and sports courts throughout the parks. The entire route is about 32 miles, and though that may sound like a lot, you can break the ride up into smaller parts and choose what you want to see. As someone who has completed the route several times, there truly is something new to appreciate during each ride, whether it’s the relaxing seasonal nature, or the delicious food spots to discover on the way. 

While these are my favorite destinations to bike in throughout New York City, I equally enjoy simply pedaling through different neighborhoods. You’ll see (and eat) extremely different things in Chinatown versus Brighton Beach, for example, despite them only being about an hour away from one another. Explore the unique neighborhoods the city has to offer and appreciate their distinctive cultures, whether it’s through stopping by museums full of history or simply eating and appreciating different cuisines! Most of all, make sure to stay safe and have fun while biking!

Madison Kang: How do I motivate myself to work after I get home late? 

I think this is the enduring question of every busy high school student in the quest to evade burnout. As someone who likes to keep busy — like many Bronx Science students — I often return home long past dark in the colder months. Getting home at 7 p.m. every day is definitely a tiresome affair, which is why I’ve devised a foolproof three-part blueprint to stay motivated throughout the academic year.

Firstly, maintaining a daily routine.

After fall equinox, and even more so daylight savings, I do often miss the daylight hours. So the first step to my routine is to enjoy the commute home. Typically, I wouldn’t consider myself the type to romanticize life — but in learning to power through tough workloads, I have come to be appreciative of the time I have to myself. Transferring from train to train — or in my case school bus to local public transport — doesn’t have to be a chore if you don’t make it one!

But at last, I reach my destination. Walking through the front door, I am often overcome with the thought of “just sleeping for a second” (which would inevitably turn into an hour-long nap). That’s where the second step comes in: just start! For me, that means doing routine busy-work first. In my experience, I have never had a math class with less than daily homework — so after settling in at home, the first thing I do is my Calculus homework. Just checking off the first line of a to-do list is surprisingly motivating.

The third part of my routine is more of a piece of advice rather than a consistent feature of my day — it’s to know your limit. As a senior, I’ve been face-to-face with burnout more than I’d care to admit. One thing that was consistently an aspect of my life during those times was disregarding my wellbeing. The most important part to staying motivated is understanding that pushing yourself all the time is simply not good for you. If it’s getting late and you’ve spent the past 5 hours studying for that AP Biology test, that extra hour of study isn’t going to help you as much as an extra hour of sleep.

Secondly, it’s important to have measures to stay motivated long-term.

Motivation tends to feel like a mysterious clarity that changes from day-to-day rather than a long-term commitment — I know the treacherous feeling of suddenly being out of my depth despite working like a well-oiled machine just the day before. That’s why I’ve developed a couple things I keep in mind throughout the year to maintain a healthy level of motivation. 

This first long-term factor is something I have been a strong supporter of for as long as I can remember: organization. The concept of keeping an organized system looks different from person to person, but a good starting point is a calendar. Throughout high school, I’ve tried three different calendar systems — Google Calendar, Notion Calendar, and the built-in Apple Calendar. Alongside those, I’ve done everything from just one big to-do list on paper to an in-depth custom-built system that tracked every detail of my academic and extracurricular responsibilities. Despite that I rarely dropped deadlines or did work last-minute with those structures in place, systems like that are hard to maintain. Every time I find my organizational system too time-consuming or ineffective, I employ Occam’s razor and find a simpler solution. The simplest solution I’ve come up with is just using the Apple Calendar app that is built into my laptop and phone. On my calendar, I keep fourteen different sections for everything from birthdays to individual extracurriculars to academic and college application deadlines. Calendars generally give a good overview in one glance of where I need to be and what I need to accomplish in any certain span of time.

The reason why I find organization so important is because I think losing motivation is a positive feedback loop — the stress and guilt from missing assignments makes it harder to get them done later. Keeping on top of deadlines is daunting, but the feeling of productivity and accomplishment is so much more helpful long-term.

The second long-term factor is simply to set aside time for social activity. Staying social is an important part of motivation that often gets neglected in favor of “increased productivity.” A common misconception with the idea of time management and “using your time wisely” is that it means all time should be spent doing some sort of work—which is simply untrue!  In academically challenging settings like Bronx Science, it is easy to think spending all your time studying and doing difficult and “impressive” extracurriculars is the way to stay ahead of the curve. When in reality, overworking yourself and leaving no time for social activities is a one-stop-shop for burnout and mental health struggles.

One of my most effective solutions to staying productive  is to make time for friends and family — which can be as easy as opting to chat with your friends during SGI one day rather than going to the library or scheduling a few hours in a weekend to go visit your grandparents. In the long-term it allows for a healthier and happier mind.

Last long-term tip: Make it fun! This feels so cliché, but it actually helps. As I am writing this, I face my desk wall which is absolutely plastered in photos and mementos. There are cool-toned polaroid frames on my left, plane tickets from an emergency trip to Cleveland, Ohio on the way back from a debate tournament (long story) towards the center, many photobooth strips dotted around — but in the fray are a couple of stacked scantrons from test scores I’m particularly proud of and my most recent report card, small things to boost my academic motivation (especially when I’m up late studying for a test.) 

The centerpiece of it all, despite being on the far left side of my desk, is a vision board I make for myself at the beginning of every year. A tradition between myself and one of my best friends is to compose a Pinterest board of pictures to turn into a physical board of pictures — the collection of canvases are now a love letter to what we have grown from and what we want to grow into. All of this amalgamates into a working environment that I have had fun putting together and doubles as a source of motivation whenever I am sitting at my desk.

The last part of my late-night motivation structure is just a collection of tips and habits. These are a bit erratic and don’t relate to each other as much, but I think are key parts of my post-school day mindset.

1. “If I don’t do this now, I will have to do it later” is a strong contender for my most often mental phrase. Although begrudgingly, I push myself to do unpleasant things by remembering I can’t just avoid discomfort forever — and that weekly email from Jupiter about grades and missing assignments is an empirical reminder of that.
2. Stay off of social media as much as you can. If ultra-productive “grindset” influencers have one thing right, it’s that doom-scrolling is a threat to productivity. Personally, I do use social media for the social part — mostly messaging friends and such. But while I’m working, I use an app called Flora where I set a timer for myself to not leave the app. It’s really simple and uses trees to represent productivity, so if you leave the app your tree “dies” (plus there’s a cool feature where you can set a monetary risk to complete the timer, and if you fail, the money goes towards planting real trees!)
3. Find your rhythm! That’s definitely an interesting statement in the context of studying and doing work through exhaustion, but in my experience, finding music, a podcast,  movie, or show to put on in the background while working does wonders. My recommendations for late nights are upbeat, fast pop or contemporary classical (I am a big fan of Yuja Wang) for music, Gilmore Girls or any 90s to 2000s romcoms (10 Things I Hate About You is one of my studying movies only because I nearly have the whole thing memorized). Finding your rhythm while studying or completing an assignment makes it fly by, especially late at night.

While there are some other small details in my journey to stay motivated when getting home late, it varies from person-to-person. Above is my generalized blueprint to finding your own methods and systems, I hope it’s helpful!

Wasif Habib: How can we reduce hallway traffic to get to class faster? 

A Bronx Science students’ most hated experience: It’s Thursday, and the bell to indicate that official class has ended rings throughout the school. Then, almost instantly, the hallways are packed. If you’re on the third floor, it’s an absolute moshpit by the main staircase. And by the time you make it to class…you’re late. Some teachers even go as far as to say, “Remember, [your name here] Three lates is a detention!,” adding salt to the wound.

So, how can we actually reduce the hallway traffic? Well, we all as a community would have to work together to achieve that goal. A bit hard, but doable. 

• The obvious one: Don’t use the main staircase!

In all honesty, the main staircase is typically pretty nice to use. It’s way bigger than any of the other staircases and your chances of running into people you might know rises exponentially. But your opinion will immediately change if you’re trying to get to a class that’s on the other side of the school and you have to maneuver your way through a crowd of people. So next time, just use the closest possible staircase to you. It would be even better if you use a staircase at the end of a hallway, because those staircases are typically unusually  empty. 

• If you’re going to talk to friends, hug the wall. 

Let’s say you’re running late for class, and you’re forced to walk towards or past the main staircase in order to reach your class in time. You try your best, but you face an obstacle: a group of friends or randomly assorted people congregated in a circle in the middle of the hallway, making themselves a human blockade that prevents other students from getting through. Or maybe you’re one of those people who start a conversation in the middle of the hallway. 

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to catch up with your friends or asking someone something important. But be considerate of other students trying to get to class, since if you were them and didn’t have a free period, you wouldn’t want to be late to class either. 

So when you catch a friend in the hallway, stand against the wall first, and then talk to them. Or, alternatively, walk with them to continue the flow of people walking down the hallway.

• Please, walk faster.

Let’s say, today you have a really hard test for something like math or physics. You’d want to get to class as soon as possible, right? Well, imagine you took the “nearest staircase” advice, yet are still slowed down due to the people in front of you walking tremendously slowly at a leisurely pace, having a relaxing conversation with someone.

Again, there’s nothing wrong with talking to someone as you’re getting to class, nor is it expected of you to power walk down the hall. But please do be mindful of the space around you and how fast you’re walking. Some groups of students walk in such a way that there’s no way for anyone to get past them, and that is especially frustrating when they’re walking incredibly slowly. So when you’re walking down the hall, please be mindful of the space you’re taking up and the speed at which you’re walking. 

Alexandra Ghile: How can you develop habits and stay consistent with them?

We all struggle with staying consistent – too many times I have told myself that starting tomorrow I will start a new habit and be more disciplined, and when the next day rolls around I completely forget the promise I made to myself. However, over the years, I have learned that building habits isn’t about suddenly becoming a super-disciplined person – it’s about making things easy and automatic so that you don’t talk yourself out of them. Here’s a list of some tricks that could help you.

Firstly, you want to start with small goals. If you want to study more, don’t promise yourself two hours a day. Try ten minutes. If you want to start working out, commit to doing something, even if it’s just a few stretches. Small wins are much more achievable and they build confidence. 

Another tip is to make your environment work for you. Keep your notes on your desk, your reminders easily accessible in your calendar, or your materials at arms length. Essentially, you want to remove the friction and extra steps that only further put you off.

A third suggestion that is very important but hard to swallow is that you sometimes just have to force yourself. You can’t rely on motivation – motivation will constantly wax and wane. The truth is that, although some days you’ll feel productive and inspired, most days you won’t, and you can’t wait until you are in the perfect mood to pursue your goals. Consistency comes from doing the habit even when you’re not in the mood. So sometimes you unfortunately just have to force yourself – let your mind dictate your actions, not your laziness or mood. And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done.

The last important thing is to forgive yourself. Everyone misses a day or accidentally wastes time for hours instead of doing what they told themself they would do. The key is not letting a few hours or a day throw off your whole week or mood. Reset and remind yourself that just because you slipped up a little, does not mean you have to throw away the rest of the day. 

We all struggle with building habits, and, truth be told, you have years of your life to continue building habits and changing your routines. But remember, once you get momentum, it becomes way easier to stay consistent.

Sophia Nguyen: How should I use AI?

According to the Digital Education Council, 86% of students use AI to complete their schoolwork. AI has become a major resource for many students for its use in several subjects. Controversies surrounding AI have existed since at least the mid-2010s, with many ethical issues being discussed as early as the 1980s. I have put together a few ways on how to use AI effectively, where it can not only enhance your understanding, but also grow your critical thinking skills. 

1. Use AI to understand, not to replace your understanding. You should ask AI to explain concepts in different ways rather than just give you the solutions. This way, it challenges you to look at your problems from different or clearer angles rather than just one.
2. Use AI to check your reasoning, not to do the reasoning. Instead of just asking for the answer, consider asking AI for feedback on your own work. When asking AI, ask phrases such as, “Here is my thesis, how can I make it stronger?” rather than, “Write me a thesis for this prompt.”
3. Use AI to generate practice questions and answer them yourself. Practice problems are a common study tactic and exercise than many students use, and AI can help enhance this. After you answer the AI generated questions, you can also ask AI to evaluate your responses.
4. Use AI to help structure your work, not just create your content. If you struggle with writing essays, creating a structure or a framework can be an effective starting point. You can ask for outline examples, organize an argument, and ask what common mistakes to avoid. But the most important thing is that you write your own content. AI is meant to be a resource, not provide your thinking.
5. Use AI for weighing options or different variables. With AI, you can easily compare two theories, characters, or even historical events. Additionally, you can use it to lay out pros or cons and ultimately provide you with multiple perspectives. While it can provide you with several viewpoints, it is up to you to pick which one you agree with and why. This saves you the time to think critically about any arguments or perspectives you agree or disagree with. 
6. Use AI as a “Socratic Tutor.” Enter in prompts such as, “Don’t give me the answer yet. Ask me questions to guide me” or “Challenge my argument.” With this method, you can use AI to push you and further deepen your analysis and thinking. 
7. Finally, use AI to break down tasks rather than just perform them. You can use AI to make schedules all the way to separating big tasks into smaller tasks. You can use AI in any way to make your life easier, but do not use it to just do everything for you. The ultimate goal is to use AI so that you have more time to think critically and understand deeper.

The school year can be very stressful and it’s understandable for us to want to turn to AI for answers. But it is important to remember how this can be detrimental to your own learning and understanding. AI can be an amazing resource if used correctly, and with these suggestions, you will be able to not only make your life easier but also enhance your studying. 

Olive Forman-Sarno: How do you know what career is best for you?

I want to start by saying it’s ok to not know what career you want. Really. We are all still so young and I think it’s unfair that we have to choose and commit to a major when we haven’t been able to try everything we want to do and explore every opportunity. So that is exactly what college is for. 

If you don’t know what you want to study, pick schools with varied programming so you can try multiple things. Larger schools provide you with access to a greater number of opportunities, in terms of courses, extracurriculars, and in terms of the people you will meet. Put yourself out there and when it comes time to declare your major, pick something you think is interesting. If, at some point you decide that this path is not right for you, it is always possible to change careers. My mother did it, and knowing myself as a person with varied interests in both STEM and humanities, I probably will too. 

All this to say, there is no shame in not knowing what you want to do with yourself. I barely do. Remember, you are not locked into one path, no matter what anyone tells you, so just try to build one that feels right.

We, the Editors-in-Chief and Managing Editors of 2025-2026 Science Survey are here to offer some advice on developing good habits, navigating academic and personal choices, and making the most of fun places around New York City. As the academic year is halfway over and with the college process wrapping up, staying on top of your work and having time to rest is more important than ever.