When high school hits, everybody suddenly realizes that they are being stretched a little thin. So what do you do when you can’t keep up?
Most of the time, you have a million things flying through your head and all you want to do is sit down and relax, but that is never an option until all the work gets done.
This is where time management becomes your best friend. Do not complain about the lack of time in a day and the fact that you have three tests this week and haven’t slept in two nights. We have all been there and know your pain, but we also know that we could have avoided those sleepless nights by organizing our lives.
Organization is key. If you have a set plan for what you want to accomplish in a given time period, then it is easier to finish work and move on to the next task.
For example, if you know on Monday that there will be a test on Thursday, and you have to work every Wednesday, then you know that Tuesday you need to study for your test.
The philosophy behind this is simple: Consider free time work time until the work is done. Most teenagers sit down and take their free time as it comes. I know, because I do it too. This is called procrastination and when you procrastinate you end up with a lot of work to do on the same day. I also know that without procrastination, things get done and have a higher quality.
On top of organization, find out what your rhythm is and work on a schedule that fits your rhythm. If you know that at night you get tired and fall asleep or get easily distracted, then do your work in the morning. Or if you know that every Sunday you get lazy and decide to watch TV instead of completing your assignments, then finish them Saturday morning before you go out. Or, if you know that you are going to have a busy month, then do your volunteer work before it reaches that point.
Knowing your schedule and organizing your days, weeks or months can prevent you from having scheduling conflicts, missing out on social events with friends and stressing over making deadlines.
Yes, life is crazy, especially in high school, but I have a hunch that more responsibility and difficulty will approach with time. So learning time management now will only help you in the long run. And applying these three simple things: organization, time management and finding your rhythm, will make a world of difference.
— By Sterling Logan