🌟 Hey, Fiveable fam!

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Cast your vote, and we’ll use your responses to help bring you even better content in the future!

Now, let’s dive into this week’s powerful study tips, inspiring stories, and game-changing insights. 📈

📲 Content Corner

A weekly roundup of the best study hacks, tools, and insights to boost your academic game.

⛰️ This mountain in Ecuador is the closest point on earth to the moon, and has some crazy physics phenomena you need to see.

🤓 Visual learners – Check out the “Method of Loci” study hack, used by winners of the World Memory Championship. (See 12:36)

🧊 Scientists discover an ancient hidden landscape “frozen in time” under Antarctic ice.

📂 A college admissions expert shares his advice on some of the key dos and don'ts for your applications.

🧮 Need to solve a problem? Try Omni Calculator – a universal math calculator for physics, math, chem, stats, and much more.

🎟️ Get Ready for the SAT with This Week’s SAT Cram Nights! 🎟️

If you’re taking the SAT this Saturday, or the last one of the year on December 2nd…

And want to get the highest score possible — then you’ll want to join Fiveable’s Cram Mode today!

We’re hosting 3 more SAT Cram Nights, to help prepare you to knock the SAT out of the park!

Here’s the schedule for Cram Mode members this week:

• 🗓️ Tonight at 8pm ET:

  • 🌶️ SAT Crams Night: Problem Solving, Data Analysis, and Heart of Algebra

• 🗓️ Tomorrow at 8pm ET

  • 🌶️ SAT Crams Night: Advanced Math and Additional Topics in Math

• 🗓️ Friday at 8pm ET

  • 🌶️ SAT Crams Night: Cram Finale

Additionally, you’ll unlock these powerful resources for the rest of the school year with Cram Mode:

✅ Over 19,000 practice questions covering the ACT, SAT and every AP subject

✅ Immediate, clear feedback on questions you got wrong

✅ VIP access to live cram sessions all year round, covering ACT, SAT and every AP course

✅ Built-in community with peers :)

Cram Mode gives you all the tools you need to build confidence + double your chances at top exam scores. Pretty great, right?

And the good news?

There’s still time to join and take advantage of these incredible SAT live study sessions!

Don’t wait — join Cram Mode today. 🌠📘

📣 Homeroom Headlines

InvenTeams 2023-24: High School Innovators Gear Up for Change 💪

The Lemelson-MIT Program has unveiled the 2023-24 InvenTeams, consisting of eight high school teams that will receive grant funding to develop tech inventions to address real-world problems.

These teams will work throughout the academic year, using STEM skills, and present their prototypes at the EurekaFest in June 2024 at MIT.

What this means for students: This initiative highlights the immense potential high school students have in shaping the future of innovation.

As part of the InvenTeams, students gain academic knowledge and hands-on experience in problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork.

Their projects, grounded in addressing real-world issues, underscore the vital role students can play in creating a more equitable, healthier, and safer world.

For aspiring inventors and STEM enthusiasts, the Lemelson-MIT Program offers a powerful pathway to make a tangible impact.

Scholastic Reinstates Diverse Book Collection After Community Pushback 📚

Scholastic, a prominent book publisher, recently rescinded its decision to permit school districts to exclude a collection of diverse books at its elementary school book fairs.

This collection, named “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice,” encompassed 64 titles that touch upon critical topics such as racism and LGBTQ issues.

Following significant backlash, Scholastic acknowledged that the initial move was misguided and promised to consider the needs of educators and students when curating content.

What this means for students: The Scholastic decision and subsequent reversal emphasize the ongoing debate about inclusivity and representation in educational materials.

For students, this highlights the importance of voicing their needs and concerns, advocating for comprehensive and diverse content in their learning environment.

The incident underscores the necessity for open conversations about representation, enabling all students to see themselves in the stories they read and ensuring access to a broad range of perspectives in the educational landscape.

Portland Seniors Race Against Clock as Teacher Strike Looms Over College Apps ⏰

As Portland Public Schools gear up for a teachers' strike today, high school seniors find themselves in a tight spot with their college applications.

Aware of the potential disruption, college counselors had previously advised students to request essential documents like transcripts and recommendation letters ahead of the usual deadlines.

While Oregon State University and the University of Oregon have granted Portland students a two-week extension for these materials, concerns remain, especially for students without ample support at home.

What this means for students: Beyond the immediate challenge of college applications, this situation sheds light on the broader impact of community decisions on students' lives.

Events like this in Portland emphasize how almost everyone is connected to and impacted by the education system — from students and teachers to administrators and parents.

For students, it's a real-time lesson in advocacy, resilience, and community solidarity as they navigate their educational journey.

😌 The Wellness Workshop

Whether you’ve just moved into a new space, or have gotten used to your current living space…

Your environment can have a big impact on your mental health!

Mental wellness isn't just about internal factors, and fortunately, there are things we can control in our spaces to positively impact our headspace!

Here are 4 space management tips to play around with:

• Promote Natural Light: Utilize sunlight for mood enhancement and sleep regulation. If natural light is scarce, opt for bright artificial light. 🌞

• Eliminate Clutter: Avoid mental distraction and stress by maintaining a tidy space. 🧹

• Incorporate Art and Personal Touches: Use meaningful art, photos, or inspirational quotes to create a joyful and positive environment. 🎨

• Bring in the Greens: Try putting in some plants for a calming and stress-reducing effect that can also assist with air purification. 🌵

Curious for more details on how to optimize your living space for better mental health?

Check out this article for more helpful pointers on positively impacting your environment.

⭐ Student Spotlight

This week’s student spotlight is on Heman Bekele, a freshman from Annandale, Virginia!

At just 14, Heman has been recognized as "America's top young scientist" for his groundbreaking innovation:

A soap designed to potentially treat melanoma, a skin cancer that affects around 100,000 people in the U.S. each year.  🧼

Drawing inspiration from his early years in Ethiopia, he designed this innovation to be both scientifically advanced and widely accessible.

His unique soap has the potential to reactivate skin-guarding dendritic cells to combat cancer.

After clinching the prestigious award, Heman voiced his aspirations to transform his soap into a “symbol of hope, accessibility, and a world where skin cancer treatment is within reach for all.”

Here's to Heman, ambition, and innovation! 👏

Know someone making waves at your high school?

Reply with their story – we’re always looking for new stories of incredible teens to share in our student spotlights!

🌙 Dream big and aim high, Fiveable fam! See you next week! ✨