Last week, we talked about developing solid study skills. Good time management is obviously a closely related skill set. Here are two of the frequently asked questions we get about time management.
How do I balance school with sports?
We are big proponents of sports. They help keep kids out of trouble and in shape. That said, there is a danger of misplacing priorities. As much as you might love playing a sport, it’s important to acknowledge that the vast majority of students are not going to play sports in college. And you have a very, very slim chance of playing professional sports. Given these odds, it makes no sense to allow grades to slip because of sports. And lower grades will hurt your chances of college admissions as well as your scholarship eligibility.
So when it comes to time management, think of your priorities first. If you have a big test coming up or know that you have a really challenging course load this semester, FIRST figure out the time you’ll need to spend studying, and THEN assess whether you can do that extra practice or take on another sport.
The good news is that because athletes are required to think about these trade-offs, they are likely to be better time managers than their peers. This is a great skill to learn.
Tutors and parents need to help student athletes develop this skill by putting certain rules into place. For instance, a low grade might mean sitting out a game or practice in favor of extra study time. At the end of the day, sports shouldn’t trump academics.
How do I maintain a schedule but still enjoy my life?
Just like study skills, time management needs to be developed in high school but will benefit you for the rest of your life. One big piece of figuring out time management is realizing that schedules are good, but every schedule will have to be flexible to some extent.
School is highly demanding these days, and most students–but especially juniors and seniors–will need to study on both weekends and week nights. But we recommend managing your time so that you can take at least one full day off a week. For many kids, that means not doing any work Friday night or Saturday. If you’re a huge football fan, though, you might want to switch it around so you have Sundays off instead.
Whatever schedule you decide works for you, realize that there are times when it will have to change. During finals, you might need to study for 15 days in a row. When things are especially busy, concessions have to be made.
The goal is to become a successful and independent adult who is capable of tackling anything. Good study and time management skills will put you on the road to that goal.
If you need additional help developing solid time management skills, our academic tutors are here to help. Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org or 720-216-2222 to learn more.