Productivity is key to surviving high school, especially for student athletes. With balancing practices, school, homework, and other extra-curriculars, it is crucial that we manage our time in a way that allows for assignments to be completed with the highest degree of excellency, while also leaving time to enjoy life with family and friends. Personally, I have felt like the past few months have flown by. How is it already November? I have been scared that I have been so busy worrying about the future and working towards it, that I don’t realize my senior year of high school is happening right in front of me, so I have searched for a few things have helped me increase my productivity in order to give myself more time to stop and smell the roses. Here are the things I found that have worked the best for me! Hopefully these can help some of you enjoy your senior year a little more too! 

1. Go to the library 

• This one is probably the best advice I can give you. I have always been someone that has done my homework at home in my room, but this year it just hasn’t been working for me. I’m guessing this is due to the fact that I spent most of my time there during quarantine and it’s no longer engaging. Not to mention that I have two younger sisters that are the farthest thing from quiet. When I know that I need to get a lot of work done, I will go to the library after cross country practice and work until it closes (9 pm), which allows me to go home and get enough sleep with a little extra time to do something fun. Usually, I am able to get almost all of my work done in this amount of time because everything I need is in front of me, and I am not spending time getting distracted by a messy room or the happenings of my household. It also gives me a comfortable, quiet environment where I know I know I can focus. Not to mention it makes going home feel like a reward rather than a chore since all my work is complete before I step foot into my bedroom. 

1. Make 3 lists 

• This one has saved me from the inevitable feeling of laziness that I get at least once or twice a week. To combat a bad or exhausting day, I make 3 lists every night before I go to bed. One for things I can do if I am feeling extremely productive, one for if I’m feeling stressed or less productive, and finally one for when all I want to do is sleep. This not only helps me prioritize things that I need to complete on a daily basis, but it allows me to give myself breaks when I need them, while still being able to stay on top of my busy schedule. I highly recommend trying this if you are feeling like college applications have put you in an unproductive mindset!

1. Do 1 fun thing instead of homework per week

• I have gotten my friends to jump in on this idea. We all agreed that we want to have more than all the big senior events when we remember senior year, so each week we pick something smaller (but still fun) to do on a weeknight. We have gone to Mr. NNHS, bought pints of ice cream to eat after cross country practice, and gone shopping for random things. This helps break up the monotony of the school week, while still giving us plenty of time to complete our assignments. It is also just a great way to make those small memories that you can look back on with a smile. 

Overall, I have found these three things to be very helpful in increasing my productivity in even the most hectic of weeks. I hope they can help you as much as they have helped me stay on top of my work! Don’t forget life is what happens when you are busy making other plans, so don’t let the joys of senior year pass you by!