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Without the right balance between coursework and extracurricular activities, high school can be overwhelming.
High school can be overwhelming between classes, assignments, extracurriculars, sports events, and family responsibilities, not to mention trying to stay on top of social situations and hormones. Studies have shown that high school kids actually need more sleep than any other age, yet they are expected to do the most on the least amount of sleep. Instead of getting stressed and taking it out on your parents, take a look at the tips below for ways you can stay ahead of schedule, maintain balance between work, school, and life, and keep everyone, especially you, happy.
Update Your Schedule
Whether you write things down by hand in a planner or keep it all organized in a calendar app, keeping your schedule up to date is very important. Every time someone mentions an event or due date, write it down on your calendar. If something changes, change it in your calendar. Being consistent with updating your schedule is the best way to keep track of everything you need to do and then prioritize accordingly. You can even set alarms on your phone or mark certain times to complete responsibilities like homework, laundry, or hanging out with friends so that nothing gets skipped over or forgotten about. It can sound extremely type A to schedule every little thing, but you’ll notice that when everything has its allotted time, it will inevitably lead to free time, which you can then use to take a nap and catch up on what’s most important-sleep!
Don’t Procrastinate
Planning ahead is the best time management strategy for high school students
One benefit of keeping a meticulously updated calendar is that it helps you not to procrastinate. While it may be very tempting to fill your schedule to the brim with everything BUT homework assignments, when you give them their designated time, even if it’s just 30 minutes a day, it can motivate you to work harder in those 30 minutes because you have something scheduled afterward to look forward to. The easiest way to become overwhelmed is to be disorganized and procrastinate. Try doing the opposite by getting ahead on assignments instead of waiting until the last minute. When you know you’re ahead of the game, you can actually relax when hanging out with friends instead of thinking about what’s hanging over your head.
Take Care of Yourself
Getting a good night’s sleep, exercising regularly, and eating healthy are all crucial to a balanced lifestyle and schedule. Forget about getting anything done or doing it right if you’re sick, exhausted, or in a bad mood. A lot of people assume that they are too busy to get a good night’s sleep, but the more you sleep, the lower your stress levels will be, the fewer mistakes you will make, and the happier you will feel. The truth is, you are too busy NOT to get a good night’s sleep. Add sleep to your schedule if you have to and try to keep the times when you go to bed and when you wake up the same every day. Soon, you’ll have your body trained to go to sleep quickly and wake up feeling refreshed.
Set Priorities
Once you find out your schedule for high school and set your priorities right, you’ll stay confident and increase your chances of success.
The best way to beat a feeling of overwhelm is to make a list of all the things you need to do and then prioritize them. This way, if you don’t get everything done (because you inevitably won’t get everything done), you’ll at least have gotten the most important things out of the way. You may even realize, as you prioritize, that you don’t actually need to do the things that are lower on the priority list. When it comes to assignments, check due dates and estimate how long things will take, then add them to your calendar one by one. This way, you’ll never miss a due date and you won’t stress yourself out trying to scramble during an all nighter either.
Schedule Down Time
Yes, you need to work hard to get into college, but you also need to have a life. That’s why it’s called balance. Balancing your schoolwork and club involvement with things like friends, family, and alone time is the only way to be truly successful. The sooner you learn how to balance everything now, the better you’ll perform in college, a job, marriage, and whatever else you have planned for the future.
Online High School
Manage your time better and maintain balance by enrolling to HSOA’s individual online high school courses.
If you’re worried that you just have too much on your plate to be able to balance it all, you’re not alone. A lot of high school kids feel this way, and important things get left to the wayside. Instead of losing a grip on the delicate balance that is your high school schedule, consider enrolling in individual online high school courses like the ones offered at The High School of America. Our online high school classes offer you the chance to work towards your diploma at your own pace, on your own time, and from wherever you want. Through online learning, you have true freedom and control over your schedule so you can obtain the balance that we’re talking about. Consider how online high school can help you and contact us today to learn more about enrollment!
