The middle of the semester can be one of the busiest times of the year; juniors are beginning their ACT or SAT prep, seniors are finishing up their college applications and freshmen and sophomores are just beginning to dive into the high school curriculum. No matter where you are in your high school career, managing your time can be tricky.

As students, we’re expected to perform well in school, have a social life, get eight or more hours of sleep and participate in numerous clubs or activities, but how are we supposed to accomplish all these expectations when we’re already busy enough?

Determining your schedule each week is a great way to start managing your time accordingly. If you’re in a sport or club that is later in the evening, completing your homework right after school would allow you to go into a practice or a game with a clear head and a determined attitude. Personally, I know that I have dance late at night so I do my homework as soon as possible so I am not staying up until midnight every night to complete everything that I need to.

While completing your homework, it’s easy to get distracted or spend your time on unnecessary tasks. To finish your homework promptly, it may help to put away your phone. If you need your phone as a calculator, for music or for pictures, put it on airplane mode to prevent yourself from looking at notifications or social media apps.

I know that this sounds hard and I know that it’s also important to take a study break every once in a while. So, let’s say that you want to check Instagram or watch a few minutes of a Netflix show, but you have a ton of homework to do. Setting goals, by telling yourself that every 45 minutes or every 15 problems, you can take five minutes as a “study break” will limit the amount of time you waste procrastinating by doing other things.     

Overall, managing your time sufficiently with schoolwork will allow you to focus on other things like going out with your friends or getting more relaxation and sleep. The better you know your schedule and your study techniques, the more you’ll be able to do!