Many high school students take demanding course loads, on top of managing extracurricular activities. This means that it is often crucial to manage time wisely to succeed, and there is little room for procrastination, which is a challenge that many students often face.
Although each person balanced different schedules, many students had similar responses and habits for maximum productivity.
Junior Nima Farnad has a packed schedule. He juggles lighting design for school musicals and piano lessons among other activities.
“If I’m not working on something, then I’m usually planning out the rest of my day to see when I’ll be doing what work,” Farnad said.
Sophomore Saanvi Jha, who is a flag football player and in KBEV, agrees. “Creating a mental schedule helps with getting my work done, as flag football practice takes a chunk of my afternoon and energy.”
However, sometimes it can be difficult to study as much as one would like to, especially considering sleep and social activities. Because of this, it is important to prioritize certain things over others. Junior Lea Levy is the president of two clubs, on top of being the captain for the Academic Decathlon team.
“I always make sure to prioritize my classwork over my extracurriculars. My biggest piece of advice is to work smarter, not harder.” Levy said.
On a similar note, other students try to maximize their time and reduce their workload by minimizing procrastination. Sophomore Federick Ramirez is a football player and involved in robotics and Academic Decathlon.
“I manage my time by doing my work for any of my classes the day it’s assigned. I get out of school at 7 p.m. every day, so I also spend any free time given in class to do work.”
Many students have a study method that works best for them, like using flashcards or doing practice exams. Perhaps the most efficient way of studying is active recall, and this method was the most practiced among the interviewed students.
Active recall is when you actively stimulate your memory as you are learning or reviewing material. This can be practiced through flashcards, concept quiz checks, or even “explaining what I am learning to someone else,” which is what sophomore trisport athlete Sophia Bakshian recommended.
This method is scientifically proven to help you remember the material better by working your brain more, in contrast to “passive” review, like taking or reading notes. This can be great to study for good grades in a shorter amount of time instead of reviewing notes for hours and getting a poor grade.
With 10 different student perspectives that overlap, these strategies seem pretty solid for good grades and time management, but what do teachers have to say?
AP European History teacher Pete Van Rossum notices common patterns among students who do well in his classes.
“Students who succeed pay attention in class and get involved in discussions.”
He also has a few tips on solid study techniques. “Get a study group together with a few other students. The best way to learn something is to have to explain it to someone else,”
Meanwhile, AP Biology and math teacher Marla Weiss said, “I think if my AP Biology students were to, every night, read their notes, they would retain more for the summative assessments.”
She also noticed, “ I think that when students are busy, they are forced to budget their time and therefore are more successful.”
Overall, based on multiple perspectives, the most important aspects of success while balancing multiple commitments seem to be tied to organization and an efficient approach to studying. It is important to remember that everyone is unique, and a method that works for your classmates might not work for you. However, the next time you open a textbook or start studying for an upcoming test, try out your fellow Beverly students’ methods! You never know which methods might work best for you!