As the school year progresses, homework starts to intensify and free time seems to diminish. Extracurricular activities also start taking up more time. Whether it is sports, music, a club or whatever it may be, it can be challenging to stay focused on your academics.
Extracurricular activities are great assets to young students. Students learn much needed skills, such as leadership and responsibility within extracurriculars. These skills aren’t always taught in a classroom. However, extracurriculars should come second behind a students academics.
Knowing how to balance your time between academics and extracurricular activities and social life can get tough, however, it’s important that students are doing this efficiently. Here are some tips on how students can balance their academics and extracurricular activities.
Set a Schedule and stick to it
Developing a schedule or using a planner is an effective way for you to know when all your academic assignments are due, as well as keep track of your extracurricular activities. When setting a schedule, you should always prioritize your academics, and plan around your class schedule.
Once a schedule is made, it is very important to stick to it and follow it. Often times, people tend to make a schedule and end up not following it. Following your schedule and understanding when you’re going to take time to do homework will help you become more efficient with your time.
Take Breaks
Taking breaks in academics and extracurricular activities is important to do in almost everything you do, and can be especially helpful when studying for a long period of time. Studying in sets of 45 minutes to an hour with a five-ten minute break in between is beneficial.
It can also be helpful to take a break from extracurriculars. Playing sports, or being involved in a school organization can be fun, but overdoing it can poorly affect your grades and can lead to burnout with whatever activity you were doing.
Group Studying
Studying in a group, with teammates or peers within your same extracurricular can come in handy. Not only does this help your study habits, but also allows you to bond with others.
Stay Organized
Balancing school with extracurriculars can be difficult, it can be stressful and time consuming. Staying organized will be a great benefit during these busy times. Utilizing a planner will help you stay on top of everything, as well as hold yourself accountable for getting everything that needs to be done.
Students are meant to have fun; that’s why extracurricular activities are so great. However, a student's main priority is to learn and grow as a person. Extracurriculars help students develop necessary vital life skills, however, it is important that academics are always coming first. With the right attitude and mindset, students will see success.
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