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3 Easy Tricks for Effective Time Management in High School

The phrase “Time Management” can be misleading. You cannot physically control time; however, you can control the events in your life in relation to time.

More often than not, you may run into the issue that there isn’t enough time in the day. On average, as high school students, 25% of our time is spent in school and another 33% is spent sleeping (normally). That means we only have around 42% of the day to do work. This equates to a measly 10 hours of time to ourselves.

Consequently, learning how to manage that small amount of time effectively is crucial for success in your high school journey.

How you choose to use that time depends on skills you learn through self reflection, analysis, and discipline. Like money, time is valuable and limited. That’s why it must be used wisely and budgeted to best fit your needs.

According to UGA, people who practice effective time management methods find that they:

• Are more productive.
• Have more energy for things they need to accomplish.
• Feel less stressed.
• Have more free time to do the things they want.
• Get more things done.
• Relate more positively to others.
• Feel better about themselves.

Obviously, the best time management strategy for you is going to be different than that of others. Depending on your level of motivation and self-discipline, incorporating these strategies can take a long time, so consistent practice is important.

Using these 10 strategies, hopefully, you can start managing your time effectively for your high school studies.

Prioritize Tasks

One way to prioritize your tasks is to distinguish between urgent and important tasks. An urgent task is defined as something that needs immediate attention and will have consequences if not attended to; An important task does not need immediate attention and invests resources for a future goal. Remember, an urgent task isn’t always important.

This concept is called the Eisenhower Matrix. Developed by former president Dwight D. Eisenhower himself, he created a matrix that helps people manage their time by sorting tasks based on importance and urgency.

Generally, you should spend less time on unimportant tasks and spend more time on tasks that are important but not urgent.

You want to focus your time on important tasks that need the most attention so that they don’t become urgent tasks, when they start sapping a lot of time and resources.

Additionally, creating a to-do list is another great way to manage your time. Make sure it doesn’t get out of hand though. It is very easy to pile tons of tasks onto the list and forget to finish all of them.

Using the Eisenhower matrix you can sort these tasks on the list based on urgency and importance. Split them based on levels of priority like high priority, medium priority, etc. Set manageable tasks rather than ambitious or multi-step ones as they are more realistic and can be completed quicker.

Lastly, set boundaries for your list. Eliminate tasks that are too long or become a distraction. Make sure your basic priorities are met first before branching out to different fields.

For more information, visit my guide on creating your own matrix.

Time-Block Tasks with Google Calendar

Time management could not have gotten easier with Google Calendar. Seriously. Creating a calendar not only helps manage time effectively, it also can help boost productivity and decrease procrastination. The amount of benefits it comes with is too good to pass up.

You should 100% start using one.

I use Google Calendar because 1. It’s FREE, 2. It allows you to set time blocks for different activities.

With this digital calendar, you can block various different activities throughout the day. You can set times for homework, chores, sports, etc. all on one page. It also allows you to set how often these activities happen.

For example, I can have an activity repeat daily, weekly, or monthly. In addition, to this, you are able to color code time blocks. I can have all my school tasks in green and all extracurriculars in blue.

This time management tool is also great for visual learners. For those that aren’t very good with memorizing daily tasks, having something you can physically see can drastically help with organization.

Because its a Google product, the calendar also allows you to sync up any meetings. For example, if you have a google meet scheduled at 1:00pm on a certain date, it will immediately be put into your calendar and you can access the meeting directly from that link.

The key is to use the calendar consistently. Get into the habit of using the calendar to plan out your day. When you wake up in the morning, check your calendar to see what you have to do for the day. 

Like checking your email, make sure you open it at least twice a day to ensure you’re keeping everything accounted for.

Set SMART Goals

What is a SMART Goal?

Well, SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. 

For each goal you set, whether it be personal or business-related, it’s best to follow this structure.

Specific

All goals that you set should be specific. This means that you should clearly identify the tasks you will do during this time period.

Ex. I will do my homework → I will do some practice math problems

Ex. I will study for my test → I will do chemistry practice problems and read a few pages in the textbook.

Try not to generalize a task. This makes it really easy to procrastinate. You won’t know how much to do and most likely end up doing the minimum amount. 

Then you leave a ton of work for subsequent days which can eventually pile up. You want to make sure you are managing your time efficiently and the best way to do that is to hold yourself accountable.

Measurable

Define a way to track your progress. 

Try to quantify the task and the amount of time you will spend on each topic. Clearly define how much time will be spent on each task and time block in a calendar. Make sure to keep organized and stay consistent with the schedule

Ex. I will do math problems → I will do 10 math problems in 30 minutes

Ex. I will wash the dishes and fold the laundry → I will wash the dishes for 15 minutes and fold the laundry for 20 minutes

Achievable 

The goal you define must be realistic and attainable. Make sure that it is feasible for your current situation. 

Sometimes you might get a bit ambitious and plan a productive schedule, only to break it because you didn’t have enough time.

Keep it realistic. Work your way up slowly. Don’t try to do multiple things at once. You want to make sure you do one job well before moving on to the next. 

There’s a saying used to describe a person that says: “Jack of all trades, master of none.”

Basically, you want to master a task before moving on. You DON’T want to be a jack of all trades and do a sloppy job.

Ex. I will get a perfect score on my math test → I will improve my score by a letter grade each month

Ex. I will workout everyday → I can workout 3 times a week for 1 hour a day

Relevant

For high school students specifically, setting goals that are relevant to your future career or college major is helpful. 

Not only does it help your college apps, you can start building the foundations you need in that field in high school.

Although you can have objectives that do not align with your future career aspirations, your main goals should still be focused on your future.

Ex. If you’re aiming for a mechanical engineering career, aim to be proficient in a CAD software by the end of the year.

Ex. If you’re into law, try competing in speech and debate competitions once a month.

Time-Bound

Time-bound activities have deadlines. What time are you going to finish your homework? When does the grading period end? Make sure you stay on top of the dates.

This goes hand in hand with accountability. Knowing when something is due pushes you to start doing your task. At the same time it provides motivation for the result ahead.

Also, this can be implemented simultaneously with the time-blocking method mentioned above. Setting deadlines for each task you have for the day helps visualize the time you have.

Ex. I will start a blog  → I will publish my first blog article within the next two weeks.

Ex. I will study for my chemistry test → I will finishing study chapters 3-5 before 9pm.

Put it all Together

Now put all the section together to create a goal-driven task.

Let’s say a certain high school student, John, wants to be an astrophysicist. A goal he may have could be:

Ex. I want to raise my math grade from a B to an A by the end of the semester by practicing 20 minutes a day and meeting with my tutor once a week.

Specific – “…raise my math grade…”

Measurable – “…20 minutes a day…” and “…meeting with my tutor once a week.”

Achievable – “…from a B to an A…”

Relevant – Improves his math grade because he wants to be a physicist (which requires a good understanding of math concepts)

Time-Bound – “…by the end of the semester…”

Let’s see another example.

Another student, Sandra, aspires to be a software developer.

Ex. I will build and deploy a personal portfolio website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript within the next two months by coding for at least 5 hours each week and completing one new feature every two weeks.

Specific – “…deploy a personal portfolio website…”

Measurable – “…at least 5 hours…” and “complete one new feature…”

Achievable – “every two weeks…”

Relevant – Since she wants to be a software developer, mastery in HTML, CSS, and Javascript is essential to designing websites.

Time-Bound – “…within the next two months…”

In Conclusion…

Mastering time management in high school isn’t about controlling time itself—it’s about controlling how you use it. By prioritizing tasks with the Eisenhower Matrix, structuring your day with Google Calendar, and setting SMART goals, you can take full advantage of the limited time you have. 

These strategies not only help you stay on top of assignments and extracurriculars but also reduce stress, increase productivity, and give you more free time to do what you enjoy.

Moreover, like I said before, the key to effective time management is consistency. While it may take time to develop these habits, staying disciplined and refining your approach will lead to long-term success. 

Start small, implement these techniques gradually, and find the system that works best for you. With the right mindset and tools, you’ll be able to navigate high school with confidence and efficiency—turning what once felt like overwhelming chaos into a structured path toward your goals.