Time management is key for getting through high school. It can be challenging to balance homework, clubs, athletics and a social life. But with proper time management, it won’t be that challenging and stressful.
Get a school planner, such as Google calendar, and set a schedule. Write due dates for assignments and practice schedules, and fill out the days that you want to set aside for time for friends and rest. There are charts where you can set a time frame to finish each individual task. Not only does it take stress off of you, it helps you get your work done efficiently.
Prioritizing is key. Make sure to use your time wisely. For example, if you finish eating lunch early and have some spare time, you should be productive and spend those extra minutes doing work instead of talking with your friends. If you have a quick worksheet due the next day, get it done. The littlest things make a big difference. Starting an essay, even if it’s just an outline, is an accomplishment that will help in the long run. Every now and then there’s that teacher who loads you with work. This is really when a working lunch is necessary. If the work looks like it’s going to take you all night to finish and leave you with four hours to sleep, then get started as soon as possible.
A balanced sleep schedule is essential. This is one of the biggest benefits of time management. “Almost 70 percent of high school students are not getting the recommended hours of sleep on school nights, according to the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” If you manage time by priority you can avoid having sleep problems. Staying up late to watch a show or Facetime-ing your friend instead of finishing homework would not be wise.
According to that same CDC report, teens on average receive less than eight hours of sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to health problems. There are those days where you may find yourself up late studying. A way to fix that would be setting aside some time to study each day leading up to the test. Also, depending on the class, homework could be used as a studying tool to prepare you for the test, which would be killing two birds with one stone.
My freshman year, I waited until the last minute for all my assignments and thought that I could get away with doing that every year throughout high school. However, during my sophomore year I realized I could not just push things to the side and wait until the last minute. When I missed my first homework assignment, I realized that I needed to start writing down and tracking assignments to stay on track. I started using Google calendar and setting alerts to finish assignments, which has made my life in high school a lot easier and has prepared me for my senior year.
Dasia Evertsz, 17, is a senior at Our Lady of Mercy. Follow her on twitter and instagram @minniedayday.
