Dear Tiger,

Balancing school, extracurricular activities and time with friends can feel very overwhelming sometimes. If you are involved with many different clubs or sports teams and also needing to do piles of homework, it can be lot to handle. As a person who has dealt with this situation my whole high school career, I have learned a lot about responsibility and prioritizing. It takes a lot of organization to make sure you get everything done on time and keep up with your grades. If you are in a sport or other clubs, you can start doing your homework before or after those practices and meetings. You can also take advantage of study halls or opens to be able to get studying and homework done.

When it comes to time with your friends, it might cost you sometimes in order to get other things done first. Weekends are always good to spend time with your friends whether it is a bite to eat or just watching a movie. Another thing I enjoy doing with my friends is study dates. Since most of your friends probably have homework to do as well, you can always go to a coffee shop and bring your homework to do while you are with your friends. Not only do you get to spend time with your friends, but you also get some work done as well.

I know it can be stressful to be involved in so many things and constantly moving to the next meeting or practice, but you should also be able to balance some time for yourself, as well. It is always good to relax a little bit. Take time at the beginning of the week and sit down to evaluate what you have going that week and plan it out. A nice organizing tip would be getting a planner. This way you can plan out exactly what is happening that week. When looking at the times you have things going on, try to find some “flex” times. These flex times are spaces where you will be able to either do some homework, relax or hang with friends. If you need more time on a specific subject or practice, then those flex times should be valuable and used wisely.

Even though all these things can be stressful and time-consuming, I would encourage you to make the best of every moment and count it as a blessing. All of these things allow you to spend time with your friends and learn new skills. Don’t forget to give yourself space and time to relax with the time that is given. Make every moment count!

Sincerely,

Sydney Canney