Keep Track of Time in High School: Tips to Not Feel Overwhelmed
Written by Leia Spagnola
For the first few weeks of 9th grade, I was one thing and one thing only: overwhelmed. My previous years of schooling had not prepared me for hours of daily homework, hundred-point tests, always having a project or two that needed doing in the background, and countless other sources of constant stress. It took a lot of deep breaths, some hard thinking, and a bit of online school to find a way to get through it. The following are the ways I made my life at school a bit more bearable, and maybe they can help you too when you need to keep track of time.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
Preventing School from Becoming Overwhelming
KEEP TRACK OF THINGS TO DO
School shut down with about 12 hours’ notice for me 18 months ago, and suddenly I was staring down my laptop for hours on end day in and day out. Each of my teachers posted assignments in a different place. I then had a high school to register for and extracurriculars to learn about and join. This cascade of tasks from every direction eventually drove me to open up the Reminders app for perhaps the first time. You’ve got a universe of options for a to-do system, from first-party basics to third-party subscriptions, alongside the analog paper option. (I still use Reminders with lists for every school subject and activity.) Whichever of these you prefer, I urge you to keep some kind of task list. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can remember everything you need to do, plus when those things need to get done. It’s a weight off my shoulders to know my list is empty because I know if there was something to do, it would be on the list. So make one, be diligent with updating it, and do the things on the list to help keep track of time.
MAKE A CALENDAR
I also developed this habit during the shutdown. Erratic Teams and Zoom meeting times were corralled into Calendar, and all of a sudden they didn’t look all that overwhelming. I set 5 minute alerts before all my classes and 15 before everything else, even though I’m back at school now. Just like the to-do list, this strategy’s strength lies in updating it. I read an email about a club meeting and my fingers swipe straight to the calendar. You could also use an agenda book for this, so long as you’re checking it regularly. Classes, test dates, extracurriculars: your calendar should be the one-stop shop for all your time commitments and deadlines.
PRIORITIZE
This is probably the most important point here. It can come into play when picking classes, doing homework, or deciding where to go when you’re double-booked. Take into account due dates, doing the most work on what you’ll turn in soonest. Make sure you’re on track with required classes and prerequisites for things you want to take, but don’t stress too much if you don’t get all your first choices. My schedules have mostly been quite difficult to mess with, since I’ve left campus for math classes and I now take electives like jazz band that are only offered for one period in the day. I wasn’t surprised when I couldn’t take AP Computer Science this year, but I’m not too worried since I have two years left to fit it in somewhere. Lastly, there are times when my extracurriculars conflict. I could go to robotics for three hours on Wednesday, but I choose to spend an hour and a half of that at AcaDec instead, since we race through learning the material. Don’t feel like you should be in two places at once; I’ve found that teachers and coaches can be understanding as long as you bring up any conflicts beforehand. Explain your situation to your coaches and ask for their opinion so you can always be where you are most needed.
PICK ACTIVITIES YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO DO
There is an abundance of pressure in high school to pick challenging, prestigious extracurriculars that look good on your college application, the more of them the better. If you enjoy activities like that, by all means join them. I do Academic Decathlon and VEX robotics, which I will be the first to tell you are a whole lot of work. The problem is, adding so much on top of your required schoolwork will add even more stress and pressure to your life. What makes this less of an issue is choosing activities you enjoy. I love the atmosphere, the people, and even sometimes the work of the extracurriculars I do. No matter how challenging they get, they will always, first and foremost, be a way to unwind and have fun. Absolutely take extracurriculars, do projects, and join teams in high school; make sure you’re picking them for the right reasons, though.
I’d say a to-do list, a calendar, and a strong sense of what you need and want to get done in high school are a great starting point for a successful experience. I hope implementing a couple of my tips can help you if you’re feeling as unprepared as I was when I started my freshman year. This won’t get rid of all your apprehension, stress, or fear; nothing will in high school. What it will do is make things easier. It’ll let you worry about what matters. It’ll make sure you know what to do, so you can do it well. Good luck and have fun. I know you can do it.
