One thing that I have had to face this year, as well as other high school students, is keeping up with academics. While high school isn’t quite as tough as college, it still carries with it some academic responsibility. When you mix in family life, extracurricular activities, sports, and hanging out with friends, that doesn’t leave much time for homework or studying. Some students in high school even take dual credit classes that are supposed to give them credits for college. This leads to even more pressure.

No matter what class year you are, achieving balance is a hard skill to master. There is no quick trick, no “do this one thing” and you will never have to worry about balance again. In this post, I will discuss one strategy that has proven essential to achieving balance in high school and be extremely helpful in college: time management.

This may sound obvious; however, thinking about time management and actually planning an effective schedule are two different things. You may want to begin by keeping track of your time for a week. I know this sounds tedious, but you would be surprised how much you can learn. It is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we “have no time,” and keeping track of it can highlight time-wasting activities. Additionally, you can identify times of the day when you are most productive and times when your energy level is low.

Five general principles of time management include: planning ahead, prioritizing, establishing realistic goals, setting boundaries, and using time efficiently. Easier said than done, but I suggest you start off small to build your willpower. Try making a to-do list first, then work your way up to breaking down large tasks into smaller sub-tasks, soon you will be assigning each sub-task specific days/times to be completed.

Here are some quick tips on time management:

1. “Self Control” is an app you can download to your computer or phone that allows you to block certain websites for a set period of time. For example, you can block Facebook for three hours, but still have access to sites so you can complete your homework distraction free.
2. Research suggests that students are most efficient when they study in small segments of time, anywhere from 45-65 minutes! It is during this time that our concentration and focus are at their peak. After that period, you should take a 10-minute break to re-charge, take a walk, change locations, or grab a snack.
3. Learn to say NO! Classes, labs, student organizations, work, sports, the list is seemingly endless. It is easy to feel or be over-committed  so it is important that you learn to prioritize and say no to things your schedule does not permit.