Time Management Tips for High School Success

School, homework, activities, jobs, SATs, college search, friends....all part of life in high school.  As a high school student your time is managed pretty well - by everyone other than you!  Here are some tips for staying organized during your high school years.

·         Use an academic planner.  Stay organized by recording all your college visits, after school activities, class assignments and due dates.  

·         Make a to-do list every day.  Put the most important task at the top and do that one first.  You will feel a sense of accomplishment when you have tackled the hardest "to-do" first.

·         Set achievable goals.  You are more likely to complete your tasks if they are broken down into manageable parts.  It is much easier to write one paragraph for an essay in an afternoon than it is to complete an entire college application.

·         Free gifts.  Free periods and Success period are gifts!  Focus on your assignments and to-do list.

·         Keep your work with you.  You can always get an assignment done whether you are on the bus after an away game or at a doctor's appointment.

·         Organize your environment.  It is just as important to have your bedroom, study area or back pack organized.  Organizing these zones will help you stay on schedule and focused.

·         Set up a special organizing system for your college search.  It's easy to get overwhelmed by the mailers, supplements, essays, recommendations, etc.  Use a filing system that's easliy accessible and visual.  Create a file for each school.  Staple a checklist for each college with name of school, application due dates, requirements for references, essays, portfolio and financial aid to the front of each folder and transfer all important dates to your calendar.

·         Organize your college visits.  Submit a college visit form to the front office 5 days prior to the scheduled college visit. Schedule appointments with the program department, financial aid office, admissions, etc. Take notes during the visit and journal once you have returned home.  Turn in proof of the visit to the office upon return to school.