Navigating your Junior Year

As a new junior in high school, I was immediately hit with my overwhelming course load and struggled a little to stay on top of all my summer assignments, all while juggling my extracurriculars. It took a few days to come to terms with the fact that junior year would not be as easy as other school years had been. Junior year, at least for me, requires a bit more time management and prioritization on my part. In just a few days, I’ve been flooded with schoolwork, and I realized that, in order to stay successful in my academic career, I would have to find a routine that helped me stay organized. Here are some of the ways I use to make sure that I’m always staying on top of my work: Use a planner – As soon as I receive any assignment, I make sure to write it down in my planner. Writing them down helps me remember it better, and I can use my planner as a visual reminder to make sure I don’t forget anything. Make lists – Sometimes, when I get home, I make a to-do list of all the tasks I have to do, especially on the days when I have a rather overwhelming amount of work. This list not only includes schoolwork, but also any extracurricular tasks, such as sending out emails or any work to be done for a school club. Creating this list helps put into perspective the amount of work I have to and roughly how long it would take. Prioritize – Another aspect of junior year that I picked up quickly was prioritization. Sometimes, it isn’t always possible to do all the work that I have to do in a day, especially when I have homework in all my classes. This is when prioritization comes into play: making a decision on what assignments to complete based on difficulty and/or due dates. For example, say you have a math test in two days and an English essay due in three days, both of which will take a substantial amount of time and effort. The best way to approach this is to focus most of your effort on studying for math until the test, while also spending maybe 20-30 minutes on the essay. This way, once the test is over, you can focus all your energy on the essay, which you have worked on little by little over the past few days. These are just some of the ways that I stay organized and on top of my work. While these steps may seem minor, they do go a long way in helping to clarify all the tasks I need to accomplish by a specific day. By staying organized, I’m able to keep up with all my work in a way that’s not too stressful. This also allows me to spend time with my friends and family and doing other activities that I enjoy. It may take a while for you to find a routine that helps you be successful, but hopefully these tips may help you find what works for you.