With a lot of extracurriculars, homework piling up and practices every day for sports, schedules can get pretty overwhelming. To check off everything on these chaotic to-do lists, managing time is the way to go.

Time management involves making a to-do list where time is divided for different types of activities to help organize the day. During high school, managing time is a very crucial skill in order to understand what needs to be completed. It can include having a planner, setting goals for the week or setting times for when those tasks should be worked on. 

At Naples High, there are many clubs, sports and activities to choose from and by adding school work, it gets hard to manage. These students from NHS have shown what it is like to manage their time and have given advice for future students.

Heidi McLean

Junior Heidi McLean plays soccer, does school diving, is a member of Interact club and the Fishing Club and has two different jobs. With so many tasks, managing her time is crucial for her to stay on top of her important responsibilities.

“It’s important to learn how to manage your time wisely, because as you get older, the consequences for not meeting deadlines become greater,” McLean said. 

Using other resources to organize important events and assignment due dates is a good way to start being organized.

“I use a calendar on my phone to stay organized,” McLean said. “I put all my due dates and events in the calendar so I can remember everything.”

Marissa Akins

Senior Marissa Akins is involved in National Honor Society, Junior State of America and Model UN. She is also on the NHS tennis and cross country teams.  

Laying out the tasks that need to be done at a certain time is the key to successfully beginning the day.

“I prioritize my work by doing my work in the same order as my schedule,” Akins said. “I get everything done from my first period before moving on to work in my second period. I also make sure to get all assignments that have a shorter timeline done first before working on anything that is due later.”

When schoolwork and practicing for sports get tiring, taking a well-deserved break can help students stay more focused long-term.

“When I feel overwhelmed I like to go for a run,” Atkins said. “It helps to clear my mind and reduce any stress. I feel a lot more focused afterwards.”

Emily Duenas

Junior Emily Duenas is a part time dual-enrollment student at FSW and is in several clubs, a schedule that can be very overwhelming at times.

When having a lot of work, it is hard to keep track of them without writing them down. Annotating schedules and having an organized study routine can be effective in breaking down all assignments clearly. 

“Advice I would give others is to create daily schedules, highlighting all the tasks/assignments you will complete and the amount of time you will take on it,” Duenas said. “Also, it’s vital that you spread out projects or long assignments into various days to minimize stress. A technique I use when completing my homework is taking a ten-minute break between long assignments in order to retain focus on the next assignment.”

With being organized, time management skills become easier each time students use them, and they prove to be beneficial in the long run.

“Utilizing efficient time management skills is significant, as it prevents a person from experiencing high levels of stress and allows for the best performance in tasks,” Duenas said.