LIFE

Swallow those tears, sweeties! We’re showing you how to master Homework Mountain…without giving up your after-school activities.

Use that planner

If your school gave you a planner at the beginning of the year, it’s time to start using it…and I don’t mean just for big tests and projects. Write down every assignment, no matter how teeny. In order to get everything done, you’ve gotta know what’s on the docket, right?

Budget your time

Sit down with your planner (and your ‘rents if you like) and plan out a normal week for you. Add in soccer practices, fall play rehearsals and volunteer hours at the local library. When you have everything that has to follow a certain schedule scoped out, start reserving blocks of time to dedicate to homework and studying. Make sure to give yourself some free time, too, whether it’s to watch your favorite show or to read a book.

Do the shuffle

Week still overloaded? See if you can move some things around. Perhaps your Wednesday violin lesson could easily be pushed to the weekend, or maybe your community service work could fill a Saturday morning instead of Thursday afternoon. Consider your school sched when shuffling to see if freeing up certain afternoons for homework (or downtime after a tough day) would be helpful.

Downtime adds up!

If you’re spending a lot of time in the car going from place to place, or waiting around after practice for a ride home, do your best to make the most of it. Bring a long a book or a worksheet you can knock off in no-time, and you’ll have one less thing to do when you go home.

by Brittany Taylor | 2/1/2016