Karen Lu

The Sidekick’s daily news/assignment editor Karen Lu is ranked No. 5 in the Coppell High School class of 2020. In addition to writing and editing for The Sidekick, Lu was involved in band for her first two years of high school. She will be attending Rice University and plans to major in neuroscience. 

What do you think is the biggest misconception about people in the top 10?

One is that we all just cheat our way into the top 10. I wouldn’t know who does or doesn’t, but I think it discredits a lot of the sacrifice some people have made to get where they are. There’s another side of the coin, where people think that you are just naturally intelligent and gifted and you 100s because that’s how you are. That also discredits the hours of studying someone may have put in to get that grade. 

What is your advice for students who are also aiming to be in the top 10?

I wouldn’t say that aiming to be in the top 10 in the first place is even a good goal to have, unless it’s just a way to keep yourself accountable for your grades and do the best you can do. Being in the top 10 is a good marker, but if you’re doing it to get into a good college, there’s so many other ways to do that. It’s just a number, but if you do truly want to be in the top 10, there’s a lot of sacrifice that you’re going to have to make. You’re going to have to study smarter, not harder. Two hours of studying for something can boil down to 45 minutes if you have the right study tools.    

What has been your favorite way to de-stress during high school?

Especially this year, my senior year, I think I’ve found a good balance between academics and my social life where I can get my stuff done and still have time to go out with my friends. It just reminds you that not everything that matters is on a computer screen or in a textbook. There’s more out there, and you can find it spending time with the people you love.    

What are tips you have for staying motivated throughout high school?

You have to have the right reasons to be studying for what you want or trying to find motivation for. If you’re trying to do something for the sake of outward approval, then it’s not going to last long. You need to keep doing it because you want it for yourself and it’s something that’s going to make you proud, not just something to show off to others. 

How have you balanced volunteering, Coppell Band and The Sidekick with academics?

What’s good is that they have a set time. When I was in band the first two years of high school, I knew when my practices and competitions were, and I had to schedule my studying time around that. It’s so easy to waste two or three hours doing nothing, but what I did was I wrote out my whole schedule for the entire day. Right when I got home, I would have a task I wanted to complete every 30 minutes, like ‘eat dinner’ or ‘take a shower’ and then ‘study chapters 1-2’ and take 15 minute breaks. 

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