In high school and always running late on assignments? Can you never find time for your friends anymore? We discuss Here are some great time management tips and techniques to help you get back in control of things:
- Use your spare time wisely. It may just be a lesson that ends 15 minutes early. Instead of wasting your time staring at others, get some of that reading for tonight. Or load up revision lectures onto your iPod and listen to them on your bus ride to school. That’s killing 2 birds with a single stone!
- Accept the pressure gracefully. Don’t live in denial. Your senior year in high school is more than likely going to be the most stressful period of your high school journey. Don’t go into withdrawal and simply shut out all the assignments and work shifts piling up. Slacking off is the last thing you want to do right now. Also, remember that it will also be one of the most immensely rewarding ones. The key to surviving and succeeding in your high school senior year is learning, mastering and actively applying smart time management skills can pull you through those final months unscathed.
- Capitalize on the times that you are most productive at. Some people like to study in the early morning. Others prefer doing their studying in the pitch-black hours of the night. Single out the time when your brain works best and make sure you do all your high-priority tasks then.
- Plan out and fall into a great daily routine. Work out exactly how much time you have for each task (i.e. homework, reading, sports, part-time job, college applications, clubs and societies) per week. Draw up a timetable with all class hours and non-negotiable commitments. Plan your self-guided work around that. Now, wake up and follow your plan every day for the next 8 months. Humans are creatures of habit, and the same applies to Year 12 students. Once pushing yourself in the rear to get out of bed when that alarm goes off an hour too early at 5 AM becomes a regular routine, it won’t feel too bad. And, it certainly will pay off in the disguise of college acceptance letters, scholarships, graduation mementos, unforgettable nights out with friends and numerous cherished high school memories. Soon, you will have attained excellent balance in your high school activities, academics, and work.
- Don’t waste time on agonizing and worrying. Today, competition amongst high school seniors to get into the college courses of their choice is fiercer than ever before. Parents, teachers, peers, and high ambitions – the pressure is on from all side! And, your final year in high school is that one time when mistakes made and duties neglected will likely cause you deep regret. Students’ minds are infiltrated with all sorts of fears, like ‘will I get into that Ivy League College? What if I don’t?!’ Block it out. A whole evening wasted on procrastination and worrying is not worthwhile. Just get up, take a deep breath, and do it.
It may seem like you’re buried to your head in AP studies, responsibilities, college applications, interviews, work commitments, and extracurricular activities at one point in time. If you’re a high achieving student trying to balance all that with, for example, representing your school at the National High School Debate and pursuing double-discipline honours, the workload is more than doubled. But you can survive the avalanche. Furthermore, after the first few weeks you spend juggling multiple activities and running from task to task like an obedient child, you’ll find that it has all become quite natural and internalized. Start putting these great time management strategies into action from right this moment. Don’t let your senior year become a sore point of your life that you will forever regret!
