As we enter the second semester, many Friends students find themselves swamped by assignments and tests. Oftentimes, students have difficulty budgeting their time and end up staying up late into the night. In order to help students manage their time better, The Insight reached out to fellow students to get their tips. 

1. Make a plan (and stick to it!)

Before attempting to complete any homework, create a loose schedule and estimate how much time you will spend on each task. Ananya Gita ‘21 advises that this schedule could also include “relaxation and spending time with friends and family.” Willow Vince ‘21 and Calvin Ware ‘22 have similar suggestions. Vince ‘21 explains, “I always make a daily schedule and plan out when I am going to do each assignment.” Similarly, Ware ‘22 mentions, “I write all my [homework] down on my computer to keep track.” Overall, making a loose plan that is easy to follow allows students to manage their workload while also dedicating time to much-needed relaxation. 

2. Do homework ahead of time

Using spare time wisely to get ahead on homework assignments is an excellent way to reduce stress, especially during the week. Bea Moyers ‘21 states, “I would also say that it’s good to always be a day ahead on assignments so that if you don’t have time on a certain day to do a lot of work, you still won’t get behind.” Ware ‘21 replies similarly, saying, “I always do homework the day it’s assigned so I can stay ahead.” 

3. Use your weekends effectively 

As students find themselves encumbered by homework during the week, it is often difficult to find time to get ahead on assignments. Therefore, many students choose to use their weekends to put themselves ahead for the coming week. Elena Elbarmi ‘20 suggests to “use your weekends to do the next two days of homework and take one night off every week.” Olivia Kane ‘21 echoes a similar sentiment, saying, “If we have a lot of work the next week, I try to do at least Monday and Tuesday over the weekend and then that puts you ahead for the whole week.” However, weekends are also a useful time to assess the coming week and plan out when you will complete assignments. As Vince ‘21 mentions, “I also look over all of the assignments that I have in the upcoming week over the weekend, so I can go into the week having a plan.” 

4. Organize assignments by difficulty and length

While getting ahead over the weekend and completing work in advance are useful strategies for time management, sometimes it can be difficult to assess how much time you should be spending on each assignment. In response, Elbarmi ‘20 advises students to “start out with the homework you enjoy/don’t mind doing and then do the homework you dislike at the end.” Vince ‘21 has a similar thought, as she states, “In order to be successful in managing your workload, you have to budget your time and sometimes you have to prioritize certain items over others.” 

5. Take advantage of your extracurriculars 

Friends students are often tasked with balancing a demanding workload with commitments outside of school. While these activities may sometimes lead to more stress and a lack of time, balancing extracurriculars with schoolwork could also aid students in time management. As Samara Friedman ‘22 explains, “Having extracurricular activities is helpful because it makes you realize that you actually need to get your work done in a productive way.” 

Although the high school workload can be overwhelming and hard to manage, we hope that these five tips might aid in lessening the stress.