How do I manage my time better? I stay up all night and barely sleep.. how do I cope with the stress of SHS and still maintain a social life??? Help plz.

Hi!  We totally understand your concerns, because we have been there too!  It can be so hard to find the balance between sleep, work, and friends. And while homework and school can be so demanding, try not to put your health and social life second. The key is to figure out a plan or schedule that best works for you.  You need down time and rest in order to better manage your time and be successful in school.

When balancing all your academic and social lives, your health should always come first; sleep should be prioritized over your work.  Does it really matter if you answer every single question on the homework perfectly?  Will staying up an hour later make you better prepared for the test or simply make you groggy the next day?  You may find that putting down your work and choosing sleep can sharpen your focus the next day. Worse case scenario, you can always wake up early and review some of the material from the night before.

To help increase the amount of sleep you are getting, try to study and get work done ahead of time. If your works just seems to be taking too long to get done than it should, try reaching out to other classmates for help. There is nothing wrong with seeking out help, and not only will you be getting your work done more efficiently, you will be socializing as well!

Maintaining a social life is also essential to your health.  You cannot be expected to work all the time and there are many different ways you can incorporate social time into your busy schedule. You can plan to work on Fridays for a couple hours after school and then spend time with friends.  Or, select one night of the weekend, which you reserve for fun, and spend the other night working. Once again, balancing social life and work is simply a question of finding a routine that is best for you.

Xx, Nick & Rose