Balance and Prioritize

Part of going to school is to make sure you learn how to balance your school activities and your club or athletic activities. Knowing how to manage your time will make it easier for you to handle other areas of your life as well, especially when you finally enter the “real world.” Here are simple tips to help get your life organized:

Decide early on, even before the start of the school year, which activities you would be involved in – such as clubs, varsity teams, or if you want to work part time somewhere. This will help you prioritize activities – but remember, the most import thing should always be your studies.

Try not to have too much on your plate. Be realistic about what you can and what you can’t do with your time. Sure, you would like to do all the stuff you want, but there is such a thing as spreading the butter too thin. You might end up not giving 100 percent of your abilities, or you might compromise one activity because you have to do another. There might be some stuff that you can postpone for another year. Again, the key here is to learn how to prioritize. Do stuff that would benefit you long-term.

Once you’ve decided what you will be doing for the rest of the year, make a schedule of your schoolwork and your extracurricular activities as you get them. To help with this, it is always best to keep a calendar, or a daily planner. You can even utilize a corkboard or a white board in your room. Write down important deadlines and dates. Remember to check these every day.