Jeffrey Wang

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10? 

It is an indicator of learning the concepts. I’m really fortunate that I had fun learning, which in turn led to my better grades.

What is something you wish you could tell your freshman self? 

I would tell myself not to stress too much. Find your own way to enjoy the topic that you are learning. That could mean breaking it up into chunks instead of cramming it in one day. Find a way to make it fun, and the grades will follow. 

What is your most memorable part of high school? 

My most memorable part of high school would definitely be spending hours inside of the art room. During lunch and the period after lunch, the other art students and I would have random discussions. After school, we would do art activities. I liked spending time with my friends and I should have done that more. It is like when you are in a communal group and are working towards a common goal. I liked doing the AP Art Portfolio and seeing everyone’s creativity come alive and getting inspired by other people.

What are your thoughts on the current education system? 

I think we should give teachers more time. I’m not in favor of C days because I like it when we have time to learn content. This year we are a little tight. I like the idea of giving teachers the ability to make fun, enjoyable lessons that really inspire. A lot of teachers are able to do this already but are bogged down by testing and required grades. It is important to engage the people you are trying to teach. For example, Dr. Gribble makes Physics C so fun, so even though it has very hard concepts, we are always happy and willing to do it. 

What are your goals for the future? 

I want to continue my art exploration. It is going to be a lifelong journey. Hopefully, I will be able to make a career out of it. Going into computer science and studio art at Carnegie Mellon University, I want to be able to find connections, enter the art scene professionally and try to be a commercial artist. I want to be able to make media that inspires the younger generation because watching old Disney movies such as Mulan, Cars and The Incredibles inspired me to pursue art. If you really enjoy something, you get that similar feeling. I want to be able to give back to other people just like how I was inspired by others. 

What is your secret to success? 

I give myself a lot of time, even though my mom always says I procrastinate. I always ask questions and believe that most of the time, there are no such things as stupid questions. The combination of hard work, inquisitiveness and being critical of yourself is where I found the most success. It is one thing to recognize a problem, but it is another thing to address it. I used to not address problems, but going into college, I’m starting to change everything. I’m starting to find real improvement. Improvement is not exponential or constant. It comes in breaks and it is just like science where there is a lull state. It takes an opportunity, and based on your preparedness, you should be able to grow.

What was the hardest lesson you had to learn during high school?

Hard work does not equate to success, especially with art. Art is very subjective, and based on what you are trying to create, there are certain styles that you can adhere to. Even though you spend 60 hours on this one piece, the judge could just not like your work. I had to realize that there are some things that are out of my control. I just have to work hard and control what I can. I have to let the universe do its thing or try again next time. It is important to have self confidence but also know when you need to improve. 

What was your motivation throughout high school?

My motivation was mainly the joy of art. High school was awkward in the beginning because of COVID-19, but art was the thing that helped me push through. Doing my portfolio allowed me to truly decide on what I really wanted to do. The one good thing COVID-19 did was make us question what we want to do because we had so much time and freedom and a loss of structure. What pulled me was the fact that I was so far away from my goal and I needed to step up. Now, I’ve gotten halfway through, and the second half is college and continuing my art journey. 

How much effort did you put into studying after school?

It depends on the year. In ninth grade, I didn’t study a lot. I studied based on the subjects that I loved. I would do two to three hours of math for fun. That transitioned into 10th grade when I did two to three hours of physics every day. I’ve gotten it down to one hour. If you count art being homework, I would spend six hours in total. I had a bunch of extracurricular activities, but I stopped them in ninth grade because art is what I wanted to do. Every single day when I would go home, my art ranged from two to four hours. However, I don’t think of art as homework. I think of it as my own exploration. I had really strong study habits and would chunk out everything. I try to condense all of my subjects excluding art to one to two hours. From 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., I would do art. There were some times when I didn’t sleep because I needed to finish an art project or because I would lose track of time. I was able to prioritize how much effort I needed to put into things. One tip is to study in class. Focus on what you are doing in class because the things that your teachers tell you are pretty good information. If you put your 110% in class, you don’t need to study a lot outside. Chunk up the things you have to do outside of class. For example, two hours of homework can be chunked into 15 minutes each day.

What’s your advice for younger students?

Try to expand yourself in ninth and 10th grade. See what you want to do and find that one core thing. Once you find it, chase it with your entire heart. Try to do it every single day for any amount of time. You want to be consistent because once you build that consistency, it’s really easy to keep doing it. Once you find that discipline, you don’t have to worry about having the motivation to do something. It will help you with time management, priorities and you can get your stuff done. You can have fun, rest and go outside. Procrastination is bad because you push things off and cause yourself more unhappiness later. Also, ask your teachers for help because I’ve learned so many tips and tricks from asking my teachers. They are all out here to help us, so use that resource. If you don’t have teachers, the web is your best source.

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