Balancing extracurricular activities as well as keeping up with your grades in school can sometimes be a very hard task to do. The school year can come with a lot of stress along with loads of work. Especially if you participate in other activities outside of school.
There are so many different activities available for students to participate in, many people play sports and join clubs while others may participate in the band, orchestra or theatre. The activities don’t always have to be school related, some students have jobs or volunteer outside of school as well.
No matter what it is that you decide to do, they all require a lot of time and commitment which can make it very hard for people to have school be their number one priority.
Most practices run until late which means that most homework must be done late at night. After a late game or practice students run home, shower, and then eat dinner before they finally have time to sit down and actually focus on their studies.
The time that students end up doing their homework should actually be the time that they go to sleep. Regardless, students athletes must learn to balance out their social, academic and extracurricular activities.
“My grades are my first priority because Coach Scott always says school comes before football,” junior varsity football player Karam Said said.
Sports can push students to work harder at school because every student athlete must be passing a certain amount of classes to play in games.
“In a way playing football kind of forces me to do good in school. If I get bad grades I won’t be able to play so all of the hard work I put into practice would be for nothing,” sophomore football player Ryan Fowler said.
Because sports can be distractions student athletes must learn to keep their life on the field separate from their life in the classroom.
Sports are not the only extra curricular activity that can take a student’s attention away from their school work, some students participate in the art department either in band, orchestra, or theatre. All programs can require after school practices, performances, or rehearsals that can be very time consuming.
“I usually need a couple of hours after school to practice which is followed by about three hours of homework,” senior band student Anna Byrne said.
Others who work or volunteer after school learn to manage their time and get their homework done before or after they finish their jobs.
It is very important for students to keep their schwool work and grades above all else.
One way students can prioritize their studies is to not procrastinate. Many students wait until the last possible moment to finish their projects, homework , or reading assignments, this is a big reason lots of students become stressed during the school year.
“Just get your work done, it is way easier to get it done than to wait until the last possible second,” Fowler said.
In high school, almost every student can also find themselves stuck in a situation where they want to hang out with friends but still have so much school work to do. Although it might be the boring choice, it is always a better outcome when you decide to get your work done and then socialize rather than putting your academics off.
“After practice I make sure I have all of my school work done before I go out or do anything else,” Said said.
Another way students can help balance their time between extracurriculars and academics is to keep up with an agenda or planner. Some students say that writing down everything they have to do and checking it off as they complete the tasks can really keep their school work and other activities in order.
Staying organized can give students a huge advantage in school.
Others find that keeping a simple schedule is the easiest way to prioritize their school work.
“I keep a routine for everything that I do. It helps a lot when you plan things ahead of time,” Byrne said.
Another great way to keep up with your school work is to make use of any extra time you have during school.
Making use of your W4 period or any extra free time during class can help create less work that needs to be done outside of school.
“I usually have enough time during lunch or W4 to get my work done so I can really focus on practice and have fun after school,” Fowler said.
When you go to work, practice, or any other extracurricular activity after school you should have a clear mind. It’s never any fun when you have loads of homework to worry about, your brain needs a break, so it’s always best to try to get it done ahead of time.
School will always be challenging, especially if you participate in other activities but if you continue to make it your first priority it will only help you improve on your time management skills in the future.