Top 10 Things to do to Manage Your Time
High school students are constantly under the stress and pressure of grades. AP and Honors courses that require a lot of work can take up a lot of free time, and things on top of classes like sports and clubs can also take up a lot of time. Although there is a lot of stress, there are also ways that you can help manage your time.
- Plan ahead
Planning ahead can help you know when to do things. It can release stress if you know exactly how much time you have to do work, and what you need to do throughout the day. Planning things out accordingly can make you more organized.
- Get plenty of sleep
Getting a good amount of sleep each night can allow our minds to work effectively and efficiently. Not only do our minds work better on sleep, but when we are well rested, we will be more productive and won’t waste time taking unnecessary naps.
- Prioritize
Do what’s most important first. If you have an assignment or project due the next day, do that first instead of other projects that aren’t due until next week. Completing important tasks can give you a feeling of accomplishment, which can motivate you to do even more.
- Turn off Electronics
Although this may seem obvious to most, it actually decreases a lot of problems. Decreasing screen time can give us a lot more time that we normally don’t have when we binge-watch Netflix. Putting electronics aside allows us to get important assignments done.
- Take Breaks
If you are working on an assignment and you end up getting mad about that specific assignment, you may need to take a break. Taking breaks can bring down anxiety and you won’t have to worry about getting too emotional over homework. It is recommended that you take a 17 minute break for every 52 minutes worked.
- Stay Organized
Staying clean and organized can also help you get homework done. It can cause us to lose focus, which eventually can cause you to waste your time. Organizing or cleaning something can make you a lot less stressed because it reduces risks of losing papers.
- Use a Calendar
Using a calendar is another way to help you plan out what you are going to do. By separating tasks, you can see exactly what you need to do, and you also have a chance to plan out by the day.
- Don’t be a Perfectionist
Perfecting each and every thing you do is another thing that can waste time. If you are a perfectionist, you’ll think that some things you do simply aren’t good enough, which causes you to try to perfect everything.
- Don’t Procrastinate
Procrastinating is a lead cause of why many high school students don’t have time to do assignments. Waiting until the last minute can add stress, and although there are some positive effects, like causing some people to be more productive, there are also many negative, so avoiding it all together is best.
- Record what You are Doing
Keeping track of what you are doing can help tremendously when it comes to time management. If you record everything you do for a week, it will open your eyes on what you spend a lot of time on and what you can spend less time on.
As high school students, we often don’t have time to do work for classes. However, by using helpful tips, it can reduce stress and make us both productive and motivated.
Ally Pendleton is a sophomore at Ripon High. She is involved in clubs and sports such as United, CSF, Block R, and basketball. Her favorite part of Journalism...
