BALANCING SCHOOL WITH YOUR PERSONAL LIFE

Life as a teenager and young adult can be extremely busy and overwhelming. Especially because we have to balance school along with our personal life and other commitments that we have. This can be a lot and for many it is extremely tough to obtain a good schedule or routine.

One of the most important things to learn as a teenager is time management. Time management allows one to not waste time and spend one’s time in both useful and/or beneficial ways. Some efficient ways to manage your time are:

1. Making schedules for your day
2. Writing down all the homework and/or tasks you have for that day/week
3. Setting times for when you want to do those certain assignments/tasks

For me, I use the notes app on my phone to write down all my homework assignments for school, as well as any extracurricular tasks I have to do. Then, when I complete these assignments/tasks I delete them so that I can keep track of what I still need to do. You could also use a journal, calendar, or another app on your phone to help you track any assignments/tasks that you need to complete. 

Another key to balancing school with your personal life is finishing schoolwork and studying in a timely and efficient manner. Easy ways to do this include: 

1. Writing down all assignments and projects and when they are due
2. Taking advantage of any time given to you during class to finish any assignments
3. If you are in online school, taking advantage of the time in between classes to finish any of the work from your previous class or classes
4. Trying to do as much work as possible right after school before any other obligations
5. Prioritizing assignments that are due sooner rather than later
6. Setting time limits for each assignment
7. Making a study plan for tests and also start to study for tests a couple of days before the test
8. Putting your phone somewhere not easily accessible

Adding on to that, using your phone is one of the biggest ways of becoming distracted and wasting time. Limiting your screen time and putting your phone somewhere not easily accessible when doing any assignments will significantly improve your work ethic. 

Moreover, managing your time, planning, and making schedules will help you be more efficient and will then allow you to have more time to spend with your family and friends. Additionally, you will have much more time to relax and spend time doing the things that you want to do. Another tip about spending time with friends is planning to hang out with friends only on the weekends or on days you have finished all of your work so that you are not interfering with your schedule or schoolwork.

Balancing school and your personal life can be stressful, but there are many ways to make every day a little bit easier and a little less taxing. Although some days can be really extremely hard and stressful, that’s okay because there will always be good days with your friends, and even at school!

Good luck,
Arya

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