By Mia Hanuska
Homework, extracurriculars, chores—there’s so much to do in one day. School especially, with so many classes of homework, can get difficult to juggle and make time for, on top of burnout and lack of motivation that typically appears later into the school year. However, as a Professional Procrastinator®, I have learned many strategies that got me through past school years, and hopefully they can someone out.
Utilize your calendar
Now this may sound a tad crazy, but sometimes it can be helpful to plan every second of your day. In whatever calendar app you use, designate a color for each of the facets of your life. I’d recommend something along the lines of school classes, breaks, clubs, personal, homework, and family. And yeah, put every single class period on your calendar. This way, when you have to plan appointments, you know what days are A/B days and if it’s a minimum or collab day. Scheduling out blocks for certain specific tasks (such as “study for English test” or “do math homework #3”) can help avoid the mental block of not knowing where to start and the fear you’ll run out of time. I always schedule a little extra time for each assignment, because that way, if I need more time than I originally thought I don’t ruin the rest of my day and if I finish early, I can use that extra time for a break.
Find where you work best
Maybe it’s your desk, maybe it’s the dining room table, maybe it’s the library. It might even be different for each subject. Whatever the case, find where you feel the most focused—and comfortable—and try to make time to study and work in that spot. If it’s the library, make sure you have some sort of transportation; if it’s your desk, try to keep the surface clear. Removing any obstacles beforehand can prevent making excuses for yourself.
Plan out what assignments to do
This tip is best when you have lots of work, and just don’t know where to start. Make a massive list of every single assignment you have to complete, then determine when they’re all due. Give each day a few assignments that must be completed by the next day, and if needed, decide where you’ll complete each assignment. I’ve found this helpful particularly when I go to the library to study, as sometimes it feels like I sit down and just don’t know what to do. By giving each day a specific set of assignments to finish, it makes it easier to start studying and I like to keep assignments on two separate to-do lists (a master to-do list and one by day) to get the good feeling of checking off the assignments more often.
Take breaks
“I’m just going to study for hours straight.” No, you aren’t. If you study nonstop for days on end, the chance of you becoming burnt out increases significantly. If you’re using a calendar, allocate time for breaks. Otherwise, you can use a Pomodoro timer, music (take a break once you finish an album), on-device screen-time limitations, or find a solution that works for you. Just make sure you don’t take too long of a break, or the motivation to study can go down the drain very quickly.