A Student Athlete’s Guide to Balance
As the spring term approaches, sunny days are more frequent and many students find themselves juggling a full schedule of extracurricular activities. To name just a few of the sports that Sentinel will offer in the spring, there’s track and field, badminton, golf, soccer, rugby, tennis, ultimate frisbee, and more - along with numerous club sports kicking off again. While the longer days and warm weather can make school more enjoyable, there is no promise of the workload decreasing, and with so many athletic commitments, many may start to feel overwhelmed. However, there are a few tips and habits that can help foster a better balance.
Prioritization
Firstly, something that comes to mind when discussing balancing school and extracurriculars is time management. But really, what is time management, and how can someone get better at it? Time management is the ability to divide time in an efficient way between different tasks and activities. A key component that contributes to effectively managing time is prioritization. When you know you have several homework assignments, it can sometimes be hard to figure out where to start. That's where prioritizing comes in handy. Make a list of all your assignments with their due dates, identify which ones need to be done first, then start working down from the top.
Time blocking
A second trick to manage your time effectively is scheduling, specifically, time blocking. Time blocking is setting aside a chunk of your day to work on something, whether that be writing an essay, studying for a test, or training for your upcoming sports competition. Put it in a calendar or simply tell yourself in your head “I will work on my essay from 9:00-11:00”. This is a way to help you focus on one task at a time to ensure its completion. A known author and naval historian, C. Northcote Parkinson, wrote in his most famous book Parkinson’s Laws: “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”, meaning that if you have a whole day, and you know you have one essay to write, it might take you all day. However, if you time block your schedule and give yourself two hours, you’ll be done sooner, even if you go slightly over your allotted time.
Making the most of class time
Another key piece is to be engaged during class. If your teacher gave you class time to work on assignments, use it. If you spend your class time doing something other than your work, you’ll have to do it later, taking time away from sports and other assignments. Equally important is knowing your limit and staying within it; while joining four sports teams can be tempting, it is important to keep in mind that you need time for homework and time for yourself. That leads us into the last point: make sure you prioritize your physical and mental health. Getting enough sleep, eating well, spending time with friends and family, and some alone time go a long way.
In short, while balancing a heavy workload and a full extracurricular schedule can be challenging, there are many simple habits and hacks to make it better, such as prioritizing tasks, time blocking, engaging in class, staying within your limit and making sure you’re putting yourself first. By implementing these strategies, you’ll hopefully be able to excel in all areas of student life.
コメント