As a high schooler, people often tell you these are “the best years of your life” and that we must find a good school-to-life balance. However, this is not as easy as adults may make it seem. This fall, I started my junior year of high school. I have found it difficult to balance BBYO events, weekly board meetings, social plans, extracurriculars, sports, and schoolwork while maintaining a normal sleep schedule. I attend a very competitive high school, and while I enjoy myself at BBYO events, weekly board meetings, and random Facetime calls, I can’t help but have imposter syndrome and feel like I am not studying enough. 

This year has tested my time management skills. Unfortunately, I did not learn the easy way, and I am still not perfect at managing my time. From many nights with only a few hours of sleep and last-minute procrastination, I have finally found strategies that work for me to manage my school, BBYO, and social life. So here are some of my top tips to make sure I have time to see all of my friends at BBYO events while still keeping up with my schoolwork. 

1. If I have an event on Friday night, I like to do some of my shorter assignments before I leave my house. 

I feel so much more accomplished and relaxed throughout the event without worrying about having as much work to complete over the weekend. 

2. Try and get as much done on school nights. 

If my teacher assigns an assignment during the week that is due after the upcoming weekend, I like to complete as much as I can during the week so I have less to complete over the weekend. 

3. Plan out your day. 

On the weekends, I block out time for BBYO events, board meetings, and social events so that I know when I have time to complete work and what assignments to do. 

4. Use a planner.

This does not have to be a paper planner; it can simply be a Google doc with all of your upcoming assignments listed for each class and their due date. You don’t want to be freaking out because you have a test or assignment due the next day that you forgot about. I recommend Notion because it makes me feel productive, and it is easy to use. There are so many free templates online that you can customize to fit your aesthetic. 

5. Live in the moment. 

I know it is easy to spend a BBYO event worrying about an upcoming test or assignment, but there is nothing you can do about then. Instead, enjoy the moment, reach out to new people, and have fun. It is important to still have fun because we cannot possibly be working 24/7. 

6. Find a study buddy. 

Ask one of your friends to study with you. You don’t even have to be in person. Sometimes, my friends and I will just Facetime each other and play music. Seeing someone else doing work is very motivating while you are studying. Sometimes, even going to a library or a cafe alone is helpful. Sometimes, even going to a library or a cafe alone is helpful. 

Remember, school isn’t everything, and balancing schoolwork and things you enjoy doing is important. I hope you enjoyed these tips and they help you!