Since You Asked . . .

Dear Advice Column;
I’m not doing a great job with balance right now. I like my spring sport and the clubs I’m in, but by the time I finish with them I have no time. I don’t want to be up late studying but I don’t seem to have a choice. Do I need to drop clubs or classes?

Stressed Out Saint

Dear Stressed Out Saint,

Since you asked . . .

Before making any big decisions, why not take a step back and consider how you’re spending your “in-between” time?

For example, if sports practice ends at five and a club meeting doesn’t start until five-thirty, it might be a good idea to study instead of sticking around to chat with teammates. Also, consider how you spend your time during practices and meetings; you might discover downtime in between drills that you didn’t know you had.

Free periods during the day, however, are the most imperative to address. Getting into the habit of wasting that time can quickly become a drain on your schedule.

Lastly, you may want to rethink what you consider “necessary”. For example, staying for two hours of extra practice after sports might not be a good idea the day before a math test.

By actively taking advantage of all your time, you may be able to reduce your load at night. That said, you also want to be fair to yourself. If you’re taking so many classes that you only have one free per week, evaluate whether it’s too much pressure.

Most importantly, don’t feel like you’re alone in this. It’s perfectly reasonable to have a hard time juggling a full class schedule and several clubs. Perhaps talk to your club advisors about lessening your extracurricular “homework” load, and talk to your teachers and advisor if you think you’re in too many classes to handle.

Best of luck.

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