“People procrastinate a lot, which makes us set important things to the side … If you can manage time well, you’ll be able to balance things you need to do and things you enjoy,” Berkeley High School senior Lexi Perez said. Between spending time on schoolwork, hobbies, or with friends and family, some students struggle to find enough time to do everything.
Some students opt to complete their work as their first priority before devoting time to other activities. BHS sophomore Devin Briquette said, “When I get home I try to do my homework, or at least some of my homework, immediately. Then I strike a balance between my hobbies and things that I enjoy doing, and school work that I have to do.”
Students can also choose to complete work at BHS. “I don’t go home the second school ends … I stay in the CCC until it closes, like pretty much every day,” said Arvin Ghaemmaghami, a BHS senior. The College and Career Center (CCC) is just one of the many resources BHS provides that allows students to focus on their work. Not only does it provide a space with school materials and tutors, but it also creates an environment centered around productivity. “I think it’s super productive because you’re still in that school mindset,” Ghaemmaghami said.
There are also alternatives to the CCC that are open during and after school hours where students can get their work done in a less crowded environment, such as the library or teacher office hours.
A similar approach to time management is to work on everything before arriving home. “I just try to do everything at school even if it’s not related to school,” said Jax Krebs, a BHS senior. One of the benefits of this is that students are able to spend the remaining time at home however they want, without having to worry about incomplete work. According to Krebs, “When I’m home, I get to … enjoy my life as a human, unshackled by systems.”
Other students prefer not having a system, and to spend time on whatever is most convenient and possible for them. “I kind of do it free-form. I just understand what things in my life take up more time than others,” said BHS senior Zack Schwerin-Daro. This allows students to come up with their own schedules while still being able to do the things they enjoy.
“If I worked on something extra, it means it’s more important to me,” said Schwerin-Daro. Coming up with a priority list is another important value in more unrestricted time management.
“Typically, when I’m getting work done, I start out doing the easy stuff before moving onto the harder stuff,” said Jack Barrett, another BHS senior.
However, undetermined schedules can also pose a challenge to students that may struggle with time management or executive function skills. “I do struggle to manage my time quite a bit,” Barrett said, “If at any point I end up taking a break (from work), it will typically just end up with me losing track of two hours and doing nothing.”
Students may often choose to do things that they may enjoy over their work when at home. “Oftentimes, once I stop doing my work to do things that I enjoy, I don’t end up returning to my work,” said Briquette.
Others prefer a more structured schedule to manage their time. “I just think it’s all about having a sort of schedule in your brain and executing it to the best you can,” BHS freshman Adam Teiblum said, who spends lots of time practicing with the BHS basketball team. Some students utilize tools to help manage their time and set their schedules.
BHS senior Max Swim said, “Checking my work every day and keeping a calendar helps me manage my time.”
As BHS students move closer towards post-high school life, it is increasingly important to practice time management. Finn Brooks, a BHS senior, said, “setting aside time for the important things before giving into things that you want to do will give me the resources for the things I want to do in the future.” However, this looks different for many people depending on their situation, and ultimately, good time management is a personal designation.