The Perfect Guide to Balancing Your Life

Picture this: you're 14 years old, standing in the gymnasium of the school you’re going to spend the next four years, surrounded by the bustle of other students, old and new. Poster boards for clubs and sports you’ve never heard of are in every corner as representatives from every table entice you to sign up for absolutely everything. This is a common occurrence for almost every freshman, and there is no doubt that high school is a time of stressful classes, juggling sports, and maintaining friendships.

Oftentimes, high-schoolers find themselves overwhelmed with the influx of opportunities at their fingertips. Many feel the need to do everything, but only have a mere 4 years to do it. In order to experience high school to the fullest, it’s key to master time management but more importantly, understanding yourself and your abilities. This is something junior Kate Wood has learned to do, taking AP and dual credit classes, while also playing hockey and running track/cross country.

“When I’m off from cross country and track, my day-to-day is doing my homework when I get home, so that leaves me time to go to tutoring, then hockey, or a run,” Wood said. “When I'm in season, I will go to practice for 2 hours after school, then come home, eat really quickly, do my homework, and occasionally go to hockey after that.”

By immediately getting on task when she gets home, Wood leaves zero time for procrastination in a schedule where you can’t really have any. When you have both a coach and teachers who have high expectations of you, it is essential that you prioritize each with the same level of respect and energy. To do this, Wood exemplifies the importance of prioritizing each thing that needs space in your schedule and truly scheduling out intentional time to do each thing. If you know that you need to have sports practice or another extracurricular that starts after school hours, schedule time out in your day dedicated specifically to homework time so that you balance out everything you need to get done.

But what about your social life? More often than not, teenagers find themselves compromising on quality time with friends and family in order to stay caught up with school. However, it’s important to recognize the benefits of spending time with friends, especially during adolescence. According to Newport Academy, teen friendships are crucial to developing necessary traits such as empathy and compassion, while also aiding in forming identity outside of family. 

“I always make sure to hang out with my friends whenever I can,” Wood explained. “I usually split up my work according to my schedule, so if I want to hangout with my friends Friday, I make sure I do all my other homework throughout the week.”

By cultivating and maintaining healthy relationships with everyone around her, Kate Wood continues to be an incredible example of how you can truly make time for anything that matters to you. If it is important, it will find its way into your daily schedule. For Kate, being there for the people around her allows her to be a light in other people’s lives and also allows her to grow and mature as she continues to juggle all these things on her plate. 

With the pressure to excel academically and athletically, teenagers may struggle to find the perfect balance. However, it’s important to remember that your performance in one aspect does not define your abilities or success. As long as you manage your time effectively, allocating your attention to different things at different times, and focusing on the quality over the quantity of the things on your to-do list, you’ll be sure to get the full high school experience!

Kinetic Kate // Managing her busy schedule ever since the beginning of high school has been no easy task, yet junior Kate Wood does it all. From maintaining her 4.4 GPA to excelling on multiple sports teams, she exemplifies what it means to be a well-rounded student: how does she do it? Photo by Milana Garza