Maximizing Your Semesters in High School: Time Management Tips for College Prep

Summary:

Smart time management is key to preparing for college. Here are nine tips for time management  throughout each semester of high school.

Key Points:

1. Utilize Prelum’s “top time management apps for students” list
2. Use tools that work for you
3. Utilize your computer or phone’s digital calendar
4. Set reminders
5. Personalize your schedule
6. Prioritize
7. Make time for fun
8. Find a mentor
9. Be realistic and flexible

Are you a high school student with a busy schedule? For most teens, this means academics, athletics, clubs, internships, and maybe an after-school job. If you’re juggling all these activities without a modicum of stress, then you have developed a set of skills that are vital to success: time management. But this is rare, as it is reported that a whopping 82 percent of people report not having a dedicated time management system. Plus, teens are still in the learning phase of maintaining a complex schedule. It’s no wonder that today’s teens are experiencing a heightened sense of time management anxiety. 

But fear not, this article will provide you with the tools and tricks essential for mastering your own time management style. First, let’s answer the question of just what exactly time management is.

What is time management?

In short, time management means allocating your time effectively, so that you can give the right amount of time and attention to each activity, while also reducing the potential of stress overload. Obviously, this changes based on time of year, what’s on your calendar, and your personal objectives. Want to get into the college of your choice, qualify for scholarship money, or excel at a sport or extracurricular in order to amplify your resume? Time management is a must.

According to the National Society of High School Students, consistent time management is a valuable support system that:

• Allows for High Productivity: If you have several assignments all due on the same day, marking out events on a calendar or app will enable you to allot adequate time for each. 
• Promotes Effective Decision Making: When you’re overwhelmed, you can make hasty decisions that result in poor outcomes. But consistent time management accommodates time for decision making.
• Improves Self Discipline: Effective time management helps you avoid procrastination and the kinds of distractions that take you off track.
• Increases School/Life Balance: It’s critical for your wellbeing to balance academics with extracurriculars, sports, social life, and sleep. When all are in balance, you’ll reduce anxiety and be less likely to put off important tasks.
• Supports Stress Management: When you fall behind on schoolwork, stress levels are quite likely to rise. When you’re on schedule, your stress levels are better managed.
  

Beyond time management support, this handy chart reminds you of the steps necessary to be a time management expert.

Nine Time Management Tips to Ease your High School to College Journey

Utilize Prelum’s “top time management apps for students” list:

• Pick an app that works best for your purposes and budget
  

Use tools that work for you:

• Paper planners
• Digital apps / planners

Utilize your computer or phone’s digital calendar for: 

• Deadlines
• Exams
• Social events
• Work/internship hours
• Group study sessions
• Vacations

Set reminders:

• Add alerts 
• Set alarms 
• Add notifications/notes to the task reminder

Personalize your schedule:

• Review study tips
• Determine the average amount of time certain tasks take. This will help you carve out the appropriate amount of time needed
• Organize each day’s study requirements to break down how much time to spend on each assignment
• Account for consistent commitments such as:

- Classes

- Work shifts

- Study sessions

- Extracurriculars

- Chores

- Social engagements

- Add in guilt-free break time

Prioritize:

• Take on work according to deadlines and the time it takes to execute
• Cut back on social life if bogged down with projects
• Prioritize test times and big assignments
• Establish relationship with school counselor

Make time for fun:

• Take a walk outside
• Spend time with friends
• Sleep in on the weekend
• Read a book

Find a mentor:

• School counselor
• Coach
• Teacher
• Parent
• A good listener
  

Be realistic and flexible:

• Leave space on your calendar for surprises or hurdles
• Add flexibility to your schedule
• Be patient with yourself
• Include buffer time in your priorities list
  

Add Online Learning to Your Priorities List — Your Future Self Will Thank You!

As you prepare for your future, keep college prep courses on your calendar. Prelum partners with some of the nation’s most renowned colleges and universities. They all offer a host of intriguing summer college prep programs, as well as college prep courses online, that you can — and should — find time for on your calendar. 

Here are a few examples:

For those who are considering a future in STEM, you’ll want to check out Rice University. This prestigious research university’s precollege program offers a wealth of STEM topics including: aerospace, engineering, genome engineering, physiology, and psychology.

Or, if you have a passion for medicine, you might want to consider the University of Rochester’s Pre-College Online Program. You can choose from (or take all four) courses: medicine, orthopedic medicine, biomedical engineering, and U.S. healthcare.

Create your calendar to maximize your college prep, and make sure to fit in college prep courses online and/or pre-college summer programs.