Seven Tips to Balance Academics and Extracurricular Activities

The eternal struggle of a high school student is how do you balance all of your academic schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Both are important on a college resume, so how do you balance it? Here are seven tips to balance academics and extracurricular activities:

Prioritize Your Academics First

Before you even begin considering taking on extracurricular activities, you must understand that your academics are the most important thing. Yes, having a sport or club on your college resume does look good, but fantastic grades look even better. Also, in most cases, if your grades begin slipping, you will no longer be able to participate in extracurricular activities. So, you must keep your grades up in order to have extracurricular activities. I am not saying you should neglect extracurricular activities for your academics, but that you should always focus on academics first.

Use the Weekends to Work Ahead

The school week can be quite hectic if you are trying to balance learning in school, doing homework outside of school, and attempting to participate in extracurricular activities. In order to clean your school week up, I would suggest that you take the time during the weekend to work ahead. If you have a project due on a Thursday, finish it on a Sunday. Read ahead in your textbook, so you do not have to spend as much time during the week to study. Work ahead so you have more time during the week for extracurricular activities.

Be Selective of the Extracurricular Activities You Take On

I understand that the instinct exists to take on every extracurricular activity you can apply for. High school is all about socializing and opportunities to set yourself up for the future, and extracurricular activities provide both in spades. But, it just is not practical for you to take on absolutely everything. You need to be selective about what extracurricular activities you participate in, so you do not overwhelm your schedule with activities you either do not have an interest in or have no use for. Make sure you only take place in activities that can help you or entertain you rather than what you think you need to do.

Stop Participating in an Extracurricular Activity You Are Not Enjoying

I understand that having extracurricular activities on your college application is extremely important, but you should not have to make sacrifices in your life just to spruce up your application. If you are in a club or participating in an activity that you just are not enjoying, and it is just a black hole of time, do not be afraid to just step away. If you are wasting time here, you are not using your time on something you like or something that needs more attention. You will be better off in the long run by just cutting it from your schedule and moving on to something else.

Remain Organized

Due to the amount of work you will be doing (between your academics and extracurricular activities), you can be in a constantly hectic state, with thigs happening all the time and no room for rest. Due to this never-ending struggle, you need to remain organized in order to keep your sanity. Have a binder or notebook for every academic subject and extracurricular activity. This way, you will have more control over your chaotic life and be able to see your objectives clearly based on your organization method.

Plan Ahead So You Do Not Take on Too Many Things at Once

If you have any desire to litter your schedule with extracurricular activities, you need to have a plan in place, so you do not overwhelm yourself. There is also a practicality to it. You cannot have two clubs on the same day, so if you continually update your schedule, you will be able to keep track of what you can do. It also helps to see everything written out, so you can make decisions on what to take on and what to move on from. Also, who hasn’t gotten confused as to what they were supposed to do on a given day? Everybody that hasn’t had a schedule.

Always Make Sure You Get Your Rest

No matter what you want to take on, just make sure you don’t take on too much that detracts from rest and relaxation. You can’t go one hundred miles an hour at all time and not rest your body. Even if your pursuits are pure of the mind, you need to slow down and give yourself the time to decompress and give your body and mind a rest. So, plug some Netflix time in-between history, hockey, and key club.