Balancing school and personal life can be a challenging task, especially for students who are trying to maintain good grades while also having a fulfilling personal life. Having a balance between school and extracurricular activities is essential to having healthy management of their time. 

Students have different strategies depending on their extracurricular activities and way of studying. Firstly, prioritizing responsibilities and setting goals can help manage time in a more effective way. Secondly, making a schedule and sticking to it can help in effective time use and making sure everything is being done properly, lastly having a good sleeping habit to reduce stress and be more effective. Breaks during study and activity periods are necessary to have good mental and study habits. 

“Usually I organize my week depending on my activities, so I can manage my time better and take advantage of all my studies and occupations,” Juan Arango, Grade 9, said. 

Do not skip exercise  

Balancing school and exercise can be challenging, but it is important for both your physical and mental health. Having a routine can help students get homework and practice done correctly. People have different exercise habits that can help them manage time according to their extracurricular activities. 

“I go down to the gym in the afternoon and like to finish at six, or 6:30. Then I go home. I had dinner with my family. And that’s when I get finished. If I have homework, which 90% of the time I don’t, I study, and I’ll finish after dining,” Joaquin Jaramillo, Grade 10, said 

Inactivity can cause problems in the long term; finding the correct balance between school and exercise is necessary for teenagers. Lack of exercise can increase the likelihood of developing heart diseases and other risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. 

“Generally I don’t exercise a lot. I get home after school, watch Netflix and after dinner, usually check what I have to do but not always do the work I have for the next day” Maximiliano Lopez, Grade 11, said 

Students in AP courses have especially busy schedules. AP are university-level courses that have a higher studying demand, outstanding students with many of these classes need to balance both homework and other extracurricular activities such as sports or clubs. 

Distractions in activities and studying 

Distractions are one of the main causes of poor time management. They can disrupt focus, waste time, and make it difficult to complete tasks efficiently. Distractions can come in many forms, such as notifications from cell phones, emails, social media, conversations with students and family, and even thoughts or feelings. 

 “My biggest distraction when I do my homework is my family, my cell phone, and my dog. Someone is always talking or I get a notification and I rarely don’t read it,” Antonia Velez, Grade 10, said. 

Distractions can make work take longer. Interruptions or distractions can break concentration and make it harder to get back into the flow of work. This can lead to spending more time overall on the task than if you had been able to work uninterrupted. 

“One of the most annoying distractions I have are being on my cell phone, playing games on my computer and my family, and sometimes I don’t complete my tasks either being homework or duties because of the distractions,” Geronimo Price, 11th grader said 

It’s important to identify and manage distractions in order to maximize productivity and stay on task. This can involve setting aside dedicated periods of time for focused work, finding ways to reduce or eliminate distractions in your environment, and developing mental strategies to maintain your focus.

Sleeping and eating habits 

Having good habits with regard to food and sleep is an important aspect of maintaining good health. Balance is one of the most important aspects of a student’s life, people sacrifice eating and sleeping to finish homework. This is a problem in the long term and can cause headaches, and nausea. 

“Regularly I sleep at 11:30 because I have a lot of work when I get home, after all my activities outside school I eat and get working for 1 to 2 hours a day, some days it is really exhausting, and I don’t get enough sleep,” Pedro Lopez, Grade 12, said. 

Eating habits play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. While also including a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, students sacrifice these necessary things to do homework or activities. 

“I have a strict schedule of going to the gym, sometimes I get too tired when I get home so I don’t have time to study, and when I do study I end really late and the next day I wake up really exhausted,” Pedro Velez, Grade 11, said. 

It’s important to prioritize and make time for both school and personal life, setting realistic goals and limits for each. This can be achieved by managing time effectively, setting boundaries, and finding a healthy balance between academics, work, social activities, and self-care.