High school can be a stressful time, especially if you are an honors or AP student. There always seems to be a new assignment or paper or project due, and it can feel at times overwhelming. However, it isn't impossible to balance schooling with the rest of your busy life, and it may even be easier than you think. Here are three key ways to survive, and even thrive, in your academic career.

1. Stay Organized

We all know that feeling when we realize we lost our homework, or that the big test that we thought was next week is actually today. Keeping organized can help you feel more in control and prepared for things like this. One of the best ways to stay organized is to keep an agenda. It doesn't have to be fancy or anything (I use an old spiral notebook); it just has to be large enough for you to write your assignments and test dates down in. Whenever you have something due, simply make a note in your agenda, and then you can have a single place to reference all of your assignments at any point in the year. It really helps you to stay on track and not forget anything important. You should also try to keep your binders and folders neat. It is extremely helpful to have a place for everything (homework, notes, quizzes, etc.) so that you can find it quickly if you need to turn something in or study.

2. Don't Procrastinate

This is probably the hardest thing to do for any high school student. Yes, it's more fun to go out with friends or watch TV or whatever, but if you don't plan ahead then there will inevitably be that one night when everything is due and you stay up until 5 AM doing it all. Think of homework as those raisins in a bag of trail mix. No one likes the raisins, but they're easier to eat if you include them in a handful of nuts and M&M's and pretzels. However, if you just pick out all the raisins and ignore them, then eventually you will have a disgusting ball of 900 raisins left at the bottom of your trail mix, and no one wants that. So try to scatter your homework throughout your day, gradually picking away at your assignments. This makes the whole experience much more bearable and much more enjoyable.

3. Ask For Help

No one expects you to be the best at every subject or to enjoy everything you do in school. If you are struggling to understand something or to find the motivation to do your work, then ask for help. If you are struggling, then it's certain that others are struggling as well. Save yourself hours of confusion by asking a friend for help. If you are still struggling, do not be afraid to ask a teacher! Their job is to help you succeed in school. If you come to them with questions, they will be more than happy to answer them. Also, they will make a note that you are motivated to do well, which may get you on their good side and earn you some extra marks from time to time.

School is as enjoyable as you make it out to be. By following these steps, you can hopefully find more joy in learning and have a better high school experience as a result.