Trying to figure out how to balance everything in school can be extremely difficult. There are school activities, clubs, sports, trying to work out, hang out with friends, and keep up with friends at home is so overwhelming at times. However, trying to learn how to prioritize and manage your time can make all these things a lot more doable.

There is a process to use to prioritize things so that you know exactly what to do, at what time. If you try to think of all the tasks that need to be completed at one time, it will just create unnecessary stress. First, write down everything that needs to get done by a certain amount of time (for the day, week or even month). Then, the next step is prioritizing these things. First, is important items that are urgent and need to be done soon. Second, are the items that are important, but not due soon. Third, are not important items but are due soon. Finally, are the not important items and that are not needed to be done soon. By giving each item a number so that it goes in that order, you will be able to see what the most important and urgent items are so that these can be completed first. When you get these items done and out of the way, it will make you feel so much better about everything.

Learning to manage your time is such an important skill that is not really taught in school. If you are able to teach yourself ways that work for you so that you can prioritize and complete important items in a timely manner, it will create a more calm environment for yourself and you will feel overall better about your upcoming schedule and to do list.

In addition to prioritizing, setting goals whether they be for just that day, or the whole semester is also an effective way of staying on track. This sets you up for success when you have something clear and tangible written on paper to help you have a positive way to end the day, or semester.

Although all of these skills might not have been taught to you in a real "class," just trying to keep yourself accountable for how well you are managing your time, writing down to-do lists, and setting short-term and even long-term goals are all skills that can be learned through dedication and time. It might not always be easy to stay motivated and on track, but doing these things will make you feel so much better and proud of yourself in the end! I promise it is worth it to learn these skills.