Finding Balance Between Academics & Extracurriculars

We’ve written before about how students hoping to apply for college need more than just strong academics for a competitive application. Extracurriculars add a variety of different experiences – but how are you supposed to keep up?

It’s easy to end up overcommitting and burning out, which is the last thing you need to deal with.

If you’re struggling to keep up with your commitments, here are a few of our tips to try and maintain a healthy balance.

Decide What’s Important to You and Prioritize

You don’t have to say yes to everything! Don’t be afraid to say no to things that aren’t essential or don’t interest you.

Consider your existing schedule before you take any additional extracurriculars on. Be realistic about the time you need to study, do homework, and prepare for other things. Prioritize your obligations based on what’s important to you.

Understanding the limits of what you can and can’t take on is key.

Plan Ahead + Manage Your Time

Find a planning system that helps you keep track of assignments, deadlines, and obligations for your extracurriculars. Make sure you know what’s coming up for the week so you can block out your time appropriately, including any study time, meeting time, and other activities.

This is where having a planner or other management system can be helpful, since you can avoid procrastinating.

Break assignments down into tasks by day or week to keep yourself from falling behind. Set goals and keep yourself accountable for meeting them.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

If you feel like you’re falling behind, don’t hesitate to reach out to your teachers, coaches, or advisors. You can talk to them about your workload and ask for their support.

They might be able to help you balance what you need to do with additional flexibility around deadlines or resources you can use.

Remember to Take Care of Yourself

Managing your mental health is key. Self-care is critical for keeping stress low and staying focused during the week.

No matter what other obligations you might have, make sure you find time to do the things you enjoy and check in with yourself often. Self-awareness can help prevent burnout and keep you from being too overwhelmed. See if there’s anything you can do differently that might make things easier.