Sydney Scott is a senior at Southeastern Louisiana University. She shares practical advice, inspiration, and tips for high school and college students using her unique brand of candor and humor.
We all have 24 hours in a day, but I often find myself wishing I had more like 30 to 35. My weekdays feel so short during the semester because they’re packed with classes and work. I know many of my high school readers have after school jobs or extracurricular activities -- or even both. My college readers may have jobs, internships, clubs, and other obligations. It can seem like a constant struggle to stay on top of everything while trying to keep your grades up. I have some tips that can help you handle it all without completely losing it.
The key to surviving the semester is time management.
I’m sure you have heard of time management, and even though it sounds boring, I’m here to tell you that the secret to surviving the semester is great time management. The longer that I am in school (and hold down multiple internships), the more I realize that time management is actually quite an art. It takes practice, dedication, and a whole lot of patience.
Extracurriculars vs. jobs vs. school: Who is the winner?
Usually, when discussing time management we say that the first thing to do is to prioritize what’s on your to-do list. However, this gets tricky when talking about balancing school and work tasks. Which do you pick? Do you go to basketball practice, but maybe skip a math assignment? Do you go to work, but skip practice? Or do you do all your homework, but don’t make it to practice OR work?
The answer is… none of the above! And that’s why time management is an art: your grades, your job, and your extracurriculars are all important while on the path to reaching your goals. Make sure when managing your time, you don’t let any of these fall to the wayside. A rule of thumb, though, is to keep your grades and academics at the top of the stack of tasks. And when the going gets tough and you hit that mid-semester slump, just keep in mind what my mom always tells me – you can do anything for a semester! Plus, when it’s all said and done, you’ll graduate with some sick time management skills.
Communication is crucial.
The best secret to managing your time as a student is really no secret at all – it’s just good, old-fashioned communication. It’s important that at the beginning of your semester you let your boss, coach, or instructor (or whoever you report to) know what your capabilities are. Can you work on Monday and Wednesday, but not Tuesday and Thursday? Can you make it to Tuesday practice, but not Friday because of work? Are you willing to do some work on the weekends?
These are all things that the adults in your life should be aware of walking into the semester, so they can help make sure that you don’t get overloaded while you’re in school. It’s also important to check in with them weekly and let them know your bandwidth for the week. I always make sure to let my bosses know when I have a big exam or project coming up that I need to dedicate my time to that week, and it helps them delegate tasks to me so that I won’t be overwhelmed.
It’s also important to communicate with your teachers. While high school teachers are less likely to be flexible with deadlines and tasks, it can help just to keep them aware of big things going on with your after school commitments. College professors may have some more flexibility.
For example, every year in August, my internship has a staff training that takes place over two days. Usually, this falls into the beginning of the semester, so I have to miss my college classes. I always shoot my professors an email a week or two before letting them know why I’ll be gone. Even though it’s not an “excused absence,” all of my professors have always been very understanding about this, and have been happy to receive some communication on my end. Moral of the story: communicate your schoolwork and workload to the people who can help!
Your calendar/planner is the most essential tool to keep you organized.
The best tactical advice I can give you is to find a good calendar or planner and actually make use of it. Consult it every night before you go to bed, or first thing when you wake up. It will tell you what you have going on so that you can plan your day and your week. I use Google Cal for work, a spreadsheet for school, and then another spreadsheet for day-to-day scheduling. I don’t think you have to have all three (this is what works for me!), you definitely need a planner or calendar of sorts. Find one you love, write down every single test date, quiz, due date for papers, meeting, sports practice or game,, etc., and keep tabs on it! It’s a hard habit to get into, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be happy that you did. Make your calendar your bible!
So, here’s the final part of my pep talk…
It can feel overwhelming to prioritize responsibilities and still have time to breathe during the school year. But with communication, organization, and a good planner, managing your time between extracurricular activities and your schoolwork isn’t so bad after all. You can do it!
Want more? The Career Compass mobile app is available for free in the App Store and Google Play. Students and their parents can find scholarships, FAFSA and TOPS information, ACT and SAT reminders, application dates, important reminders, and more!
You can also check us out on Instagram and Facebook @careercompassla to see what we’re up to and to get important updates.
Image by Luisella Planeta Leoni from Pixabay.