Five Ways to Manage the New School Year

The start of a new school year can be stressful for everyone, regardless of what year you’re in. Overloads of homework can lead to long nights, sleep loss, stress, and many other unsavory symptoms. Here’s a list of five ways to manage the school year and all of its trials.

1. Don’t listen to music while studying
   According to an article in USA Today, listening to music while studying can limit what you actually process when reading or writing. The lyrics and tone can distract you from your assignment — multitasking, such as listening to lyrical music while reading, makes it much harder to focus on both tasks equally.
2. Start your homework as soon as possible
   This one might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s a key to academic success. If you start your assignments as soon as you get home from school, you’ll have more time in the evening to relax, hang out with friends, or catch up on sleep. To avoid procrastination, you can schedule breaks, put your assignments into groups (do math, then English, then history, etc.)
3. Have study groups
   Study groups can be really great, or they can be the downfall of productivity. While working with your peers on an assignment or class, you can bounce ideas off of each other, discuss different aspects of the assignment, expand your thoughts on the subject, and try to limit procrastination. You can ensure that your group is effective by making it small, meeting regularly, and having a plan and structure for your meetings.
4. Limit extracurriculars
   The start of the school year is filled with clubs and activities forcing their ads and propaganda in your faces. And a lot of the time, they’re really cool. But, having too many extracurriculars can actually lead to health issues. According to a Quartz article, spending more than 20 hours a week in extracurriculars can lead to elevated stress and a lack of sleep — both of which can lead to more problems.
5. Remember that grades aren’t everything
   It seems as though the importance of your GPA and grades is one of the most talked about topics in high school. The popular thought is that if you don’t have the grades or the GPA, your future will be hugely limited, and that’s a pretty daunting thought. This pressure for good grades can lead to serious mental and physical health issues. According to The Greater Good, a UC Berkeley publication, “a quarter of the students [in a 2011 study] struggle from depression.” The article also stated that 20% of Ivy League students self-harm. Schoolwork may be important, but your health and safety always takes precedence. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork, take a step back, read a good book, watch your favorite TV show, or talk to your friends.

Autumn can be a great time of year, and school can be exciting! If you manage your time and schoolwork wisely, you can have a fantastic school year.