Surprise! Your math teacher announced that you're having a quiz…tomorrow! Don't forget about your history homework though, because that's due at the end of the week!

Oh, almost forgot! You also have that group project that is worth 20% of your grade!

Maybe it's time to swing by the library…

As a student, sometimes it feels that the amount of work you have to complete is formidable, and even impossible at times. Yet there seems to be a “perfect method” to juggle not just your schoolwork, but also your extracurriculars. After all, your classmates seem to be doing so well…

The question most students, including myself, have asked themselves at one point is how do I manage my time well enough to succeed? It's a good question because there is no one answer, no singular perfect method.

However, there are certain ways to ease the workload. Here are some tips that helped me manage my time better as a student.

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Tip #1: Pay Attention in Class

It may seem cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason. Paying attention in class is important because you absorb more learning material (less self-teaching yourself in the middle of the night). Additionally, in class, you have your teacher, meaning that you can ask questions if you're having trouble understanding a concept.

This way, you already have the basics of the material, making it easier to apply those concepts in future assignments. The more you know, the less time you spend poring over that one math problem (what was the formula again? wait, I remember it from class…), and the more time you have to focus on other things and/or build on the concepts you already have learned. Win-win!

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Tip #2: Complete Assignments as Soon as Possible

It's the easiest thing to put off your research paper until tomorrow because you're just not feeling it today, you know? While it is good to give your brain breaks, it is also important to complete tasks that have already been assigned as soon as possible. If the task is more long-term, like a project, breaking it up into smaller chunks makes it more manageable to complete.

Breaking it up also gives you time to plan, which helps enhance the quality of your completed tasks. As always, quality is better than quantity! Shorter-term tasks can usually be finished more quickly, but there are typically more of those than long-term ones. Finishing them the day or the day after you're assigned them gives you a fresh day to focus on new assignments. In this way, the assignments are not piled up, leaving you stressed and pulling an all-nighter. Overall, completing your tasks in a timely manner just makes life a little bit easier for future you.

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Tip #3: Organize Your Tasks

Most of us have probably sat at our desks, overwhelmed by the amount of work to complete, yet not knowing where to start. This is the very reason why it is important to organize all your tasks. I like to use a to-do list and order my tasks, from the most important to the least important.

This way, I can at least have an idea of what I want to get done and set reasonable goals for me to match. It is also helpful to keep a planner to see all your upcoming events and assignments. Planners are also particularly useful for long-term planning, and your life in general, really. Bonus points if it is color-coded, and if you use highlighters!

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Tip #4: Use Your Free Time Productively

We all have our moments when we're doom-scrolling on our feeds. One video turns into two, and two turns into ten, and before you know it, you've spent an unspeakable number of hours on your phone, watching cat videos. We only have so many hours in a day (24, just to clarify), and one (or a few) of those are already gone.

So whenever you feel like you have absolutely nothing else to do but to turn to the app that is Instagram, try to ask yourself this question: Is there anything I should do that might bring out my inner panic monster in the future (reference: Tim Urban's TedTalk)? If the answer is yes, go start/finish it, so you can comfortably scroll without stress and/or regrets! If the answer is no, continue watching those cat videos. You deserve them!

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Tip #5: Have a Positive Mindset

Nothing factors into both your physical and mental health more than your mindset, and your success, too. Your mindset is what drives you to work extra hard toward getting that internship or acing a test. It is also what makes you decide to make questionable decisions sometimes.

Either way, having the right mindset is a huge part of whether you get your stuff done or not. Contrary to the popular belief, which is that procrastination results from a lack of time management skills, procrastination actually results from being unable to manage your negative feelings properly. This means that you procrastinate because of negative emotions! This is why approaching your assignments with a positive outlook can make them seem more manageable. However, if you start your assignment with negative feelings, chances are, you're not going to get very far, because those emotions would weigh you down. Mindset makes all the difference.

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Conclusion

It's impossible to say that anyone has perfectly mastered the precarious act of balancing time productively. Yet, following tips like these makes it easier to do so. There is no one perfect solution because everyone processes things differently, so finding something that helps you manage your workload best is important. Finally, having faith in yourself and your abilities is key because anyone can do anything once they put their mind to it, especially a high school student!