It’s no surprise that DECA members are overachievers. With advanced course loads and immersive extracurriculars, time management and planning can be difficult in high school. Take a look at some tips to help you ensure next school year is your most organized yet!
1. Split Large Tasks into Smaller Parts
Whether for a DECA project or class assignment, high school students work on tasks spanning multiple weeks. Often, these tasks have one deadline. To maximize efficiency on more significant tasks, split them into smaller parts with individual deadlines. For example, say you are competing in Innovation Plan, you could set separate deadlines for each section of your paper (problems, solutions, customer segments, etc.). This same method can be used for a lengthy book report in English class or a lab in Biology.
2. Set a Sleep Schedule… and Stick to It
While this tip may seem obvious, one of the largest challenges high school students face is a lack of a strict bedtime. Melatonin, the sleep hormone in your body, regulates the sleep-wake cycle in the human body based on circadian rhythm. For instance, if you go to bed at 10 PM every night and wake up at 4 AM, despite not getting an optimal amount of sleep each night, your body will adapt to the schedule because of melatonin. On the other hand, changing your bedtime every night disturbs your cycle, making it harder for your body to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
3. Perfect Your Email and Inbox
In the professional world, email is the key form of communication over text messages and Instagram direct messages that high school students are familiar with. Organizing your email early can help you prioritize conversations and plan responses. Through folders, you can sort emails by topic. Utilizing the schedule send feature on Gmail can prevent late replies and typos. You can begin professional communications in high school by taking advantage of the tools in your inbox.
4. Google Calendar
Though more a tool than a tip, Google Calendar has quickly become the most popular digital planning resource. With the opportunity to add dates, assignments and collaborative calendars, Google Calendar is a phenomenal student resource. Moreover, Google Calendar features include the ability to color coordinate events and create separate calendars based on purpose (such as a calendar for DECA and one for school). Most significantly, Google Calendar shows accepted meeting invitations on platforms such as Zoom, making it a multi-faceted resource accessible to all students.
A brand-new school year means a brand-new you. Implementing these tips can improve your schedule and your effectiveness. Take the time to try these methods over the summer to see which works best for you. Happy planning!
