When students go home, some feel too unmotivated and tired to get their work done. On the other hand, some students construct their own routines that help them tackle their work and balance time efficiently.
Not having a structured after school routine isn’t bad, and many students don’t need one to thrive.
Coppell High School sophomore Daham Karunadasa feels the same.
“I find that I can finish work pretty quickly or to the extent that it’s the first thing I do when I go home, but that’s not really a routine,” Karunadasa said.
Many students base their routines off how they feel or their personality, and change it every day.
“It depends on your personality and how you manage yourself on your own, which obviously ebbs and flows,” counselor Lindsey Oh said. “But definitely try to make sure that you have as structured a routine as possible.”
Some students may need a break when they get home. This allows them to refresh and rejuvenate before they start their homework.
“A lot of times I recommend taking an hour break from the time you get home from school,” Oh said. “You can use that free hour to watch TV, lay down, take a nap, get a snack, be on your phone, recharge and then go straight into the checklist of things that have to be done before the next day.”
Although it might be necessary to take a break, some students have extracurricular activities such as fine arts and sports that require extensive work.
Many students find themselves having to balance their school work and extracurricular activities due to many reasons. It can help to create a plan or set timers to efficiently divide your time.
Sophomore Nitya Tyagi plays the flute for the CHS Band, and, similar to other students, finds herself overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to be done.
“When you have a lot of classes with quizzes every day, it gets a little hard to keep up with,” Tyagi said. “Sometimes I feel like I have a lot of stuff to do and there might be things that I don’t understand either.”
Juniors and seniors might experience high levels of pressure due to having to study for national tests, such as the SAT and ACT, or even having a job. These added burdens can cause students to forget about having a structured routine.
“I usually study for about four hours, and it’s stressful because it’s for colleges to look at,” junior Jiosephine Bakarich said.
Incorporating rewards into the routine can keep students motivated to complete their work.
“I like to think about one thing that you can do to celebrate at the end of this week, whether that’s just laying around or watching your favorite show,” Oh said. “Make sure to incorporate that so you get that recharge and you have almost an end in sight.”
It may seem tempting to procrastinate, but overall, it’s better to create a structured schedule that helps you check off your mental list. This helps drive motivation in some.
It is important to remember that putting together a routine that is both structured and personalized can be key to success. Whether that includes taking breaks, or even sitting in the backyard to complete homework, the most efficient after-school routines come from what students find best.
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