How do you manage it all?

ArtsyGirl13
Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:04:36 +0000

Um it is sort of hard/you have to find a balance. You asked about schedule so here is mine (so that you can understand my crazy life), note I am in the process of joining math club (it will be new to my school) which will add an extra thing to my week…

Monday: Varies by week, once a month I have a board meeting for a library board and once a month I have a board meeting for a golf program I am in. The other weeks I tend to be helping with school events or some other random thing. I usually get home around 7:00.
Tuesday: NAHS, not a very busy day for me, I get home by 5:00, though I think this is when math club will be (which I will go to from NAHS, meaning it will be a much longer day).
Wednesday: Take a bus to the library study for like an hour, get some food and then take another bus to my next class. I then have a Hebrew class which I take for language credits and some Judaic studies. I get home around 9:00.
Thursday: Go to the golf course right after school where I coach, I get home between 8:00 and 8:30.
Friday: Nothing!
Saturday: Varies substantially by week, some weeks I do college visits, others I help at school auditions (I go to a magnet school) and similar events, others I help with fundraisers for the places I volunteer, I usually have around 5-6 hours of stuff to do on Saturday.
Sunday: More Hebrew classes and volunteering, occasionally other stuff, usually 4-5 hours of stuff.

So now that you have read my schedule you understand where I am coming from. Homework wise I get 3-4 hours a night on average (this is what I get for taking all honors and APs) and then I am involved in two yearbooks and some other stuff that produces up to an extra hour of work a night. I am also self studying for an AP, have leadership positions in every EC I am in and helping my teacher from last year plan a trip to Washington DC for almost 200 students.

I have found that the key is time management and taking advantage of time even when you only have five minutes. I carry ACT flashcards with me so that if I have a minute or two I study them. I do my school readings on the bus and use days where we have subs to study (as opposed to my classmates who talk). Managing is hard to do, but you get used to it. You have to be OK with the idea that you will get less then three hours of sleep at least once a month, will probably do homework when you are half asleep and fail at least a few tests each year because you simply never had time to study. You have to prioritize, do well on not a lot of sleep and make every minute count.