Navigating high school can be overwhelming. Balancing school, extracurricular activities, a social life, and perhaps even a job can feel like treading water. Developing self-management and study skills can help you achieve a better school/life balance, improve your grades, and enhance your mental well-being. In addition to helping you navigate high school, acquiring these skills will set you up for success as you transition to college or the workplace. So, what are self-management skills?
Self-Management Skills
Self-management is the ability to regulate one’s mental and emotional state and focus to achieve one’s goals. These skills encompass stress management, time management, and organizational skills. Here are some examples of ways you can try and stay regulated:
Time Management
Set a timer for yourself and your work. Move your phone away from you and allow yourself the space to focus only on the task at hand for the duration of the timer.
Tying in with our timer is setting goals for yourself! What would you like to complete by the end of the week? Making lists can be an effective way to keep track of everything you need to accomplish.
Backward planning: Getting started can be the most challenging part, so start at the end! Identify the outcome. That may be X number of math problems, a five-paragraph essay, an art presentation, etc. Then, ask yourself, what steps do I need to take to achieve that result? Map out each step to get to your goal, and then…
Use an agenda! Map out on your agenda what you need to accomplish each day to finish all your obligations. For example, if I need to write an essay by Friday, then by Friday, I should only be editing and adding final touches. Thursday, my goal could be a rough draft; Wednesday, I can outline; Tuesday, my goal will be research, etc. This breaks down your schedule into manageable chunks and helps you keep track of all your activities! Bonus points if it’s color-coded!
Organization Skills
This can look different for everyone, but the goal is to help us stay on top of everything we need to succeed.
Folders: Create a folder and notebook/binder for each of your classes. This is another instance where color coding is your friend!
Keep your workspace, backpack, binders, etc. tidy! It can be very distracting when sitting at a desk with countless papers littered across it. If you no longer need something, recycle it! Try to limit what is in front of you to what you need for the assignment you are currently working on. A cluttered desk can equal a cluttered mind!
The same can be said for backpacks and binders! Shoving everything into a bag rather than sorting them into class folders makes it harder to find what you need to get started.
What about Study Skills?
When you are with your teacher, take lots of notes!
The best study skills start with figuring out what type of learner you are and what helps you succeed. For some of us, that means writing everything on flash cards and reading until it sinks into our brains. For others, it can mean listening to a presentation or watching someone do what we must do. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! If you are unsure what type of learner you are, there are resources online!
Use study and test-prep tools at your disposal. Many resources will be provided by your teacher, as well as ones you can access online. Including here at Dailies!
Conclusion
Practice self-care and be kind to yourself. Getting started on something new is hard, and we all need a little help sometimes. Nothing, including self-management and study skills, comes easily the first time. They take practice! But you can and will be successful, and everyone here at Dailies is rooting for you!
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