Homework, self-care, or sports? All are equally important, and with everything going on in a student’s life, it is hard to keep track of everything. When students get home from school, they are excited to head to sports, but a parent usually has to remind them to do all their homework. Even though it isn’t fun, they often prefer to do their homework first to get them out of the way. However, studies have shown that large amounts of homework right after school can lead to severe headaches and overuse injuries.
According to eighth grader Ariana Chafetz, “I go to bed at midnight and wake up around 6:30 a.m. I feel school should start later, so kids can sleep more.”
Teenagers are supposed to get around 8 – 10 hours of sleep each night. Ariana only gets seven hours of sleep each night. That is below average and over time, any teens, including Arianna will have trouble focusing and interacting in school. As indicated by Better Health Channel (BHC), “Not enough sleep or disruptions to sleep can have a major impact on daytime functioning including poor concentration, reduced reaction times and altered mood. In children, sleep deprivation can affect behavior and school performance” (BHC). This shows how sleep deprivation can affect your overall health and with the workload Ariana and other students are getting, sleep deprivation will be more likely to happen.
Seventh grader Jacob Graham also experiences a low amount of sleep. “On school nights I go to bed at 12 a.m. and wake up around 7 a.m, school should start later so you get to sleep more.”
The University of Waterloo in Ontario Canada recommends time management to help students stay on track, “The best part is you don’t need a fancy, expensive agenda — it can be as simple as a wall calendar, a free agenda provided by your school, or a free online agenda/calendar app for your phone. Make sure to give yourself some downtime to relax and reflect. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re doing and its significance. Having an overworked, cluttered, and disorganized mind can make you more unproductive in the long run” (Top time management tips for students). Eighth grader Julia Thorburn agrees with this statement, stating, “I’m usually good at staying on task because of my planner. I write down my homework and activities… I rarely need reminders.”
Students who use planners are more likely to get better grades and be able to turn in their work more efficiently and on time which results in a more stress-free life.
Sixth-grader Cam Fenton said, “Managing your time is important so you don’t mess up your times and dates, and you’re not stressed out and have no time for other things.”
Managing your time effectively will let you meet dates, try new ideas, and find a healthy life balance. If you feel overwhelmed or overworked, learning a few time management tools may help you reduce stress and plan to meet your goals. Prioritizing your urgent tasks depending on their importance will allow you to complete the most important tasks that require attention and time. Students who practice good time management can achieve their goals in a shorter amount of time.
Most of the kids at Edison Intermediate School tend to do their homework first, right when they come home from school. Top Time Management Tips for Students also states “Tackling the most important thing in your day first can make getting the smaller things complete much easier. Emails, messages, and the little things can be done at the end of the day. If you leave your biggest goal for last, such as studying for an important history test, then you will feel overwhelmed, stressed out, and anxious. Plus, working on something important and time-consuming at the very end of the day can impact other things such as the time spent sleeping that night” (Top time management tips for students).
Eighth grade U.S. History teacher Mr. Matthew Varhley stated “I like to keep lists on index cards and prioritize important things, I also try to arrive 15 minutes early to events to stay on track.”
In summary, it is important to balance your time throughout the day so you can have a successful routine. EIS students work hard each day to be the best students they can be with their tips and tools. So next time school has you stressed, use these tips to guide you along the way, and remember that all things can get done if you are on the right track.
