BYU OHS students tend to be driven, engaged, and excited about learning. Some have shared insights about how they set themselves up for success with online school. Not only do their tactics teach us how to juggle school responsibilities, but they also teach us skills to lead more fulfilling and successful lives. Read on for time-management words of wisdom from BYU OHS ninth-graders—who are just 14–15 years old!
1. Organize everything
“Organization. Organize everything all the way up to the end of the first semester. Organize how much you’re going to get done each week and what days you’re going to do it. It doesn’t have to be all at the same time, but just before your week, plot out what assignments you’re going to get done. That way you’ll never get behind.”
2. Try using spreadsheets
“I have my entire schedule for the day plotted out on one Excel sheet. It’s pretty simple . . . you don’t have to go that complicated. You can just write down: Monday get this done, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday do this amount of work. . . . It’s totally worth doing—30 to 45 minutes and you’re done.”
3. Use an app
“I used to do a to-do list, which could be helpful to someone who likes to check off things [for] accomplishment. I actually got a good notes app for free, called Evernote. It’s very good. I like how easy it is to use. That’s the one tool I use every single day.”
4. Write tasks on a whiteboard and set alarms
“I have a whiteboard in front of my desk. And Google Calendar helps with other stuff. Usually, I get an email beforehand, and then on my whiteboard, I write it down and write the time. So, when I go to my desk to do school, I look up and then I can see—it reminds me what I need to do. When it comes to meetings, I set an alarm so I can make it on time.”
4. Figure out your scheduling style
“At the beginning of the school year, I was so stressed. I didn’t know if I was doing things correctly. As time passed, I figured out a system for myself. From the beginning, I divided all the courses into five days, and I [did] a little bit of each course each day. I was really proud of my schedule, but I realized it’s very stressful for me to do that, so now I do a different subject each day. I’ve been just doing one subject per day. Monday is leftover work from last week, and then I separate the four days into four different subjects.”
