Finding Balance: Managing Everything for Student Success

Students across the nation are facing the battle of balancing academics, extracurriculars, and their health. Finding the right balance of these three key aspects is necessary for success, not just in school, but throughout all of life. Therefore, it is vital to learn this skill early on. All three aspects are crucial: education provides a base for the future and overall intelligence, extracurriculars help with social skills and create a gateway into finding passion, and health is necessary to pursue anything in life. 

The way to control these aspects of life and avoid an absurd amount of stress is through two key skills: time management and planning.  Scheduling is the student’s responsibility, and they must allot enough time to complete tasks and avoid stress. The best way to schedule is by writing a plan for the day and creating a checklist. Planners or scheduling apps are very handy in this process.  RHS students can use Homework Checker to track the due dates of their assignments and remain engaged.

Along with scheduling comes time management of school and extracurriculars. A good strategy to employ is to use breaks in between extracurriculars and  practices to do minor homework to lessen the stress. Now even though extracurriculars and practices are important, education takes priority, which is why skipping a few practices, especially during midterms or finals is best. Going to every athletic practice can add to a student athlete’s stress which may push these students away from their extracurriculars. Balancing schoolwork, sports, practices, and health can help avoid burnout. 

According to the American Psychological Association, burnout is physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion resulting in a decrease in motivation, a negative attitude, and poor performance. It derives from long and high amounts of stress typically from a sizable workload. The excessive workload leaves a person drained, affecting their whole life. According to Melinda Smith and Sheldon Reid, one can experience multiple stages of burnout with varying signs. Beginning with feeling drained and tired this can then transition into headaches and pains leading to physical illness. Appetite and sleep schedules may change as well. There are also many emotional signs such as feeling hopeless, talentless, and unaccomplished, having a lack of motivation, and becoming negative. With friends and family, isolation and frustration may occur. Evidently, procrastination will occur in several tasks that might not even be school-related. 

Many students may believe that burnout is something they can avoid or be invincible to, but it can occur to everyone and lead to a visit to the ER. But how does one escape and deal with burnout? A good approach to burnout is using the three R’s technique, provided by Melinda Smith and Sheldon Reid, which entails:  Recognize  the signs, Reverse the damage by managing stress, and be Resilient by  taking care of one’s mental and physical health. Burnout can affect everyone at any time, which is why using these strategies will help for long-term progress and a focus on putting oneself first.

Burnout can also happen from the pressure of high school. Ridgewood is known for its rigorous academic program that aids students in their future in well-rounded colleges and life in general. While academic success is a priority, mental health is one as well. There are many different strategies to help balance these two priorities. To begin, set reasonable academic goals for success; many students of RHS like to use Homework Tracker or Google Keep to ensure that all assignments are met within reasonable time limits. Creating realistic goals will allow for a confidence boost after achieving them; setting unrealistic goals can lead to a lack of self-esteem.

Avoid procrastination, which plagues many students at RHS; ignoring tasks and doing them at the last minute will not allow for the best work to be provided. Procrastination can be stopped by organizing, such as preparing times for long-term assignments, and study sessions, and permitting breaks in between for a brain break. One student from RHS decides to keep his phone in a separate room while he is working so that he is no longer tempted to look online. Another student from RHS will go to Period 9 to complete his homework with a teacher’s assistance, if necessary, and without any temptations at home. Multiple students like to go to the library as there is a quiet space to complete work with few distractions and adults there to help in any way possible.

A huge factor to be able to achieve these two priorities is self-care. Practicing self-care doesn’t always mean doing your skincare or playing video games; it is also about getting enough sleep to increase focus levels and reduce negative feelings. Eating healthy is known to have a connection with mental health stability. Avoid constantly consuming caffeine, which can increase anxiety as proven by Ronald Stolberg, PhD a graduate from Alliant International University and Andrew Stolberg a graduate from University of Colorado Boulder. If an energy boost is needed try exercising instead. Finally, give credit towards any accomplishments. Continue the positive energy and avoid comparing oneself to others since everyone most likely going through the same stress and hard work in high school.

Some ways to get through high school are by finding good study strategies early on in the next 4 years. Study strategies are divided into two categories: active and passive. The University of Pittsburgh depicts active studies students interacting with the information they’re learning and obtaining through discussions, analysis, questions, problem-solving, and more. Some ideas of active study strategies are speaking the study material out loud, writing down questions about the information, creating analogies, and having group study sessions. Passive studies are reading or listening to process the study material. This could entail making flash cards or a study guide, rereading any given material about the topic, and rewriting notes focusing on the main points. A mix of these two ways of studying will not only help the understanding of information for upcoming tests but also create a base for life studying.

In conclusion, maintaining a balance between academics, extracurricular activities, and mental health is not only achievable at the moment but it is essential for a future of success. By prioritizing self-care, time management, finding practicable study strategies, and using any resources provided to avoid burnout. Remember that balance is not about achieving perfection, but it’s a way to prosper academically, mentally, and athletically.