Since I was young, I was told to do two things by my parents: do my homework, and go to bed at a reasonable time. However, as I got older, what seemed like a simple task started to become more difficult which caused me to start slacking off. Over the years, I found myself procrastinating on my homework as the workload increased, and I found myself sleeping much later than usual. As someone who doesn’t participate in many extracurriculars I have more time to accomplish tasks. However, the circumstances are different for a student who does many extracurriculars. Naperville North students, along with students all across the nation, have varying methods for managing their time during the day, regardless of workload.

I asked three NNHS students about their study habits and time management.

Sonal Sethi, Sophomore:

“I usually set a specific time limit for each subject and I usually go in order from 8th period to 1st because it helps me remember what I have for each subject and I prioritize more important tasks. I believe that my workload is sometimes much more difficult than I expected it to be in the beginning of the year.”

Rhea Singh, Junior:

I try to make a time frame for how long I’m going to do my homework for, to manage my time. I feel like I get too much homework, especially during junior year, and this affects me when it comes to managing my time. I also feel like that for the courses I’m taking it is a lot.”

Kareena Shah, Sophomore:

“I feel like I manage my time by making a list and ordering them by priority. My workload depends on the day. Some days I feel like I have a lot to do, and some days I don’t.”

These students also gave me some insight into what their routine is on a normal school day, proving just how difficult it can be to manage time efficiently:

Though I’m no expert on how to manage time, I’ve learned multiple tips that will definitely help increase afterschool productivity and subdue procrastination. These tips can make the long, tiring days of high school seem not as strenuous.

1. Set aside a specific time for homework
2. Create a distraction free environment. Give your phone to a family member to keep for you, and ask someone to come every so often and check on your computer tabs.
3. start doing your homework immediately after coming home from school or afterschool activities to avoid wasting valuable time. If you don’t get home too late, take a 15-30 minute break when you come back to relax and calm yourself.
4. Take short , routine breaks while doing your homework to avoid getting too overloaded and stressed out. For example: take a 5 minute break every 30 minutes.  Go on social media, listen to music,  eat a snack, etc.
5. Stick to a daily routine/schedule. This will help you prioritize your time and get into the groove of accomplishing your tasks efficiently.
6. Try going to bed at a reasonable time, no matter how difficult it may be. You may have the impulse to check social media or watch Netflix, but you will feel and perform better throughout the day if you sleep more.
7. Most importantly, find a balance in your life. Even though staying on track is important, don’t spend every waking minute of your day doing homework and take a break once in awhile. Your brain will thank you.

It’s unfair sometimes how much we are expected to do in a short amount of time and how little we actually get done in a day,  however learning to manage your time can help you to a great extent. A long list of tasks can be accomplished much faster and will make your life a little bit more balanced.