What are your current study habits? Do you read your notes and your textbook repeatedly, hoping something will stick? Do you find yourself staring at the pages in hopes the information will just jump in your brain long enough for you to retain it for your test? Do you find yourself so stressed out that you can’t even think straight the night before a big test?

We are not necessarily born with the knowledge to study effectively. Study habits, good and bad, are learned, and the importance of learning these habits is often overlooked. However, practicing effective study skills has been shown to take good students and turn them into great students. Effective studying makes it easier to learn and do well inside the classroom, as well as outside the classroom.

The leaves are beginning to change colors on the higher ridges of Buncombe, Haywood, and Madison counties. The colors will work their way down to the French Broad River Valley, where we’ll enjoy them here in west Asheville. It is the season for backyard campfires, football, pumpkins, and getting outdoors as much as possible before winter. 

It is also the season when we begin preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Soon, families throughout western North Carolina will be traveling to or welcoming relatives from all over the world. There is so much to do to prepare for the holiday season that it can be difficult to focus on the parts that really matter. 

Is there anything more idyllic than sitting by the diamond or the field, watching kids play their hardest and cheering as they compete with their friends? As kids get older and reach their middle school years, they may either lose interest in sports or become much more competitive. 

For those who begin to develop more of a desire to compete hard and win whatever sport they play, some parents may be thrilled, while others may worry that their kids are taking athletics too seriously. The question may arise, is it worth it for them to play sports during middle school? 

Asheville, North Carolina, is arguably the most artistic city in the state. Located in the French Broad River Valley, surrounded by some of the tallest mountains on the East Coast, the setting itself is a work of art. 

Inspired by the unmatched beauty of the area, artists began relocating to the city and opening art galleries, especially in the old warehouses near the French Broad River. The River Arts District was born and is now considered a must-see among those who appreciate world-class art. 

It’s not just the visual arts; music and performing arts are an integral part of Appalachian culture. Since people settled in our area, storytelling, singing, writing music, performing plays, and the fine arts have been the lifeblood of people, especially when times were tough. Now, tourists visit Asheville specifically to see and hear the arts. 

For students in our area, studying the arts is an integral part of education. We realize that focusing on creativity in academics doesn’t have to be to the exclusion of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. However, there was a time when that sort of thinking was prevalent. S.T.E.A.M. is a system that reintroduces art back into S.T.E.M.