It is no secret that these past few months of school have taken a toll on everyone’s free time. Between challenging homework assignments, a calendar filled to the brim with extracurricular activities and early mornings and late nights spent at Millbrook, it seems as if every Wildcat has a lot on their plate. A survey conducted by the National Survey of Student Engagements proved that students spend an average of seventeen hours per week outside of class studying and doing assignments. Millbrook students are no exception to this rule. Many students being taught on a tough yet rewarding IB curriculum and many students being very involved in a number of teams and clubs which take up a lot of time, leave us Wildcats wondering if we will ever be able to sleep again. Luckily, there are many ways to align your activities, assignments and sleep schedule in the new year.

 The first tip is to, at the beginning of each week, plan out what you expect to be your priorities for the week, so you know which assignments and events you should focus your energy on. For a typical, busy student, that can be a very hard task, and it is best to dedicate the majority of your time to your most important assignments, then perform smaller tasks in your down time. Going along with prioritizing, it also important to plan ahead and know what you have going on that week. For example, if you know you have a meeting after school one day that is expected to run long, then the night before you should try to get as many assignments done as possible, so you do not have to stay up too late after your activities.

 One of the most important tips is to not procrastinate on your assignments; instead  try to get them done as soon as possible, so you do not have to stress about it later. Sophomore Mackenzi Barber said, “The biggest thing is to not procrastinate and just get your assignments done as soon as possible. Don’t rush, make sure you put effort into your work, but also don’t put things off until the last minute.”

The first half of the school year has been a challenge for everyone, and we are all ready for winter break right about now. Hopefully, we will all be able to let out a big sigh of relief when we come back to school in January and will be able to use these time management tips to create a more successful 2019.