Dear Ali,

I have so much on my plate! I’m taking a lot of hard classes and I don’t know how to manage schoolwork and my social life! How do I balance my schedule?

Sincerely,

———–

Dear Trying to find balance,

That’s awesome that you’re so ambitious! First of all, take a deep breath. Stress is normal, and it’s important to not stress out about stressing out – the calmer you are, the more confident you will be when handling your stress.

Second of all, don’t overstretch yourself. School should come first, so if you have to leave early from hanging out with your friends so you can get work done, they won’t chastise you. They are all busy too, so they will understand if you have to do schoolwork instead. Know yourself – if it takes you a long time to work, then don’t pretend that you can get all your homework done in 20 minutes. Examine your own study skills, and figure out what works well: do you work faster when you’re not distracted by a computer? Do you think better after you’ve eaten a snack? Do you function better right after school or at night? These basic discoveries could really help reduce your stress levels.

After your self-examination, you should definitely also invest in a calendar. This way, you can plan when you’re going to hang out with people in advance, and stay organized. Your friends may make fun of you for scheduling a sleepover a month early, but you’ll be thankful you thought ahead when you are more efficient with your work but you can also still see your friends.

If after utilizing these tips, your classes are still too hard, then there are people here to help. WJ has a National Honors Society, which offers free tutoring three days a week after school. Also, your teachers want you to succeed. So talk to them at lunch if you’re ever confused.  I hope this helps!

Sincerely,

Ali