This school year has had its ups and downs, both emotionally and academically. Between clubs, having a job, attempting to maintain a social life, and school, it has been hard to know when and where to actually allocate my time. My brain always says school first, so why is it so hard for me to follow through with that? I’m so easily distracted that even when I’m in class, I’m checking my email or trying to get work done that I procrastinated in other classes, which really just defeats the whole purpose of me going to class in the first place. This education isn’t cheap, so taking it for granted shouldn’t seem like such an option…right?
The other issue with all of this juggling is procrastination. Up until this year, I couldn’t even bring myself to procrastinate. It stressed me out knowing I had things to do, so I was always trying to get work done as soon as they were assigned. But this year, that go-getter energy has essentially packed its bags and left. Finding time for schoolwork is harder now because I have to utilize tiny windows in my days between classes while juggling the additional scheduling conflicts like work and club meetings. Some days, things run longer than expected or I get exhausted and need a brain break, which means things just get pushed aside.
Have I actually turned anything in late (yet)? No. Am I constantly scared I will? Absolutely. The thought of falling behind and not prioritizing school the way I should is haunting me, which is half of the reason I don’t feel locked in to begin with. Even though this isn’t totally my reality, I’ve been trying to build better habits to help me stay present in class and feel more in control. It doesn’t always go to plan, but the effort counts, and that’s what matters.
Phones Away
It is such an issue for me (and let’s be real, most students) to be on our phones during class. It’s not always because I’m bored. It can be making plans for the weekend, organizing a time to meet for a certain club or planning a social. Whatever it is, I’ve realized the phone is a problem. Though I haven’t perfected it, these days I’m really trying to break that habit. The first thing I do when I get to class is hit “Do Not Disturb” and shove it in my bag.
It sounds so simple, but if the phone is in my bag instead of my lap it makes all the difference. Digging through my bottomless purse feels like a complete humiliation ritual, and in small English classes, teachers definitely notice when you’re distracted. By putting the phone away or not even bringing it to class, I’m taking the small step to actively being present in my learning and understanding what’s going on. It’s wild how much more I learn when I’m not scrolling through my notifications.
Plan, Plan, Plan
I’ve always been a complete Type A student, which probably has contributed to my fear of procrastination up until this point. So really it’s no surprise that I plan out as much as possible. Every event, work shift, class, gym session, and homework block lives in my (beautifully colour-coded, I might add) calendar. I get reminders on top of reminders, but it’s better than forgetting something important. Plus, it helps me see exactly when I’ll have time to study or fit in a gym sesh!
Another thing that helps: breaking my schedule into smaller chunks. I look at what’s due, then assign myself little bits of work each day depending on my schedule. It’s way less intimidating to chip away at things on my to-do list slowly than face one big mountain of stress later. Am I perfect about sticking to it? Absolutely not. I still move things around based on what urgently needs to be done. But turning assignments into small and more digestible tasks makes it way more satisfying when I finish them. Even if I’m not perfectly on schedule, having a plan gives me something to come back to instead of spiraling.
Chill Out
Yes, the dreaded task: actually resting. I hate to be a broken record, but it’s true. If I know I’m biting off more than I can chew for a day, following it up with only five to six hours of sleep won’t help anyone. It kills my focus, drains my energy, and just makes the rest of the week harder to get through.
The first three weeks of school were pure chaos. I was trying to figure out everything all at once, while also packing in as much social catch-up time as was possible. During that stretch, I was running on about five hours of sleep a night, which may seem normal to some people, but trust me: it’s not. Not getting enough sleep affects your mood, your focus, your motivation, and even how you treat people. Is it really going to be your best work if you’re falling asleep every 5 minutes in the library? Obviously not. So GET SOME SLEEP!
Rest doesn’t mean just sleeping, it means having alone time too. This is part of the reason why I plan out time to go to the gym during the day, because that’s when I can be alone, zone out and feel like I’m taking care of myself. I also try to have at least one hour a day where I can sit in my bed and do nothing: take a nap, watch a TV show, get into random Substack articles, or whatever seems to be floating my boat outside of schoolwork. It might not seem like much, but giving yourself time to decompress makes a huge difference. As much as you want to keep up your social life, don’t forget to check in with yourself. You can’t show up for others if you’re running on empty.
Remember what’s important
What’s important is you. It’s always good to be striving towards the best version of yourself, but that doesn’t have to be the busiest version of yourself. I like to think of my best self as someone who is trying their best to maintain balance. Notice how I didn’t say “is constantly maintaining perfect balance,” because guess what? That’s almost impossible to achieve.
Trying to be a person you’re proud of is more than enough. Take a deep breath, remember you’re doing the best you can, and congratulate yourself for it. It’s something to celebrate, trust me.
I’d love to say these tips will fix everything, but unfortunately, they won’t. Some days are inevitably hard or stressful. Sometimes things pile up and you’ll procrastinate. But what matters is your dedication to yourself that counts, not perfection. Life is chaotic, but if you can focus on yourself even a little each day, you’re already doing something right.