How can I manage my time?
What is the best way to manage your time? I am a student athlete and I play 2 high school and 2 club sports. I currently have a 3.6 gpa which is good but I feel stressed all of the time during the sports season because I feel like I never have time to study or get homework done. I am also a very social person so on top of all of that I want to spend time with my friends outside of sports and school. How can I manage my time better?
3 answers
tarana’s Answer
Tarana
Tom’s Answer
Randy’s Answer
The most practical advice I can give is to say "No" to one of the sports you're playing (or for others with the same problem but without the sports, say "No" to 1 thing that's eating up your time). Pick the one that is either giving you the least satisfaction or doing you the most harm (as in, taking up more time than it is providing you benefits).
Another thing you can try is to maximize your other time. No one said you have to study all at once. Perhaps studying in small chunks of time is actually better, so keep your notes handy and study a little while you eat breakfast, while you stretch, while you brush your teeth, etc. Choose to turn off your device (no doomscrolling!) and maybe opt for less TV time (or whatever your recreational poison is) so you have more time for the things you NEED to do.
Get good sleep, but not too much sleep! As Dante said "Under the blankets is no way to fame." But if you can focus on a good routine that allows you to go to sleep at the same time (preferably fairly early) and get up early, you can be productive while everyone else is still asleep. That quiet time in the morning while your mind is fresh can allow you to get in good study and homework time and help you retain more of what you study.
Finally, humans learn best when they can connect knew knowledge to knowledge they already have. So develop good study techniques that allow you to remember new material easier by aligning it to things you know well (e.g., sports, math, music, etc.). Rather than have to study the same things over and over, get the most out of your time with studying focused on association and connection.
Randy recommends the following next steps: