High school can be stressful. Many students here at Arlington High School have busy lives. Sometimes, this busyness can be a little too much for us to handle. Here are some tips on how students here at AHS survive this balancing act.

Homework and academics take up the majority of our time. We go to school for 6 hours and come home to do homework for at least an hour per night; not to mention the extracurricular activities that some of us take part in. Finding enough time to complete school work is the most important priority. Make sure to shape all of your priorities based on school work. School always comes first. Peyton Brown (‘18) works a job, plays basketball, and goes to lots of sporting events. She gives some advice for students who struggle with being able to balance life. “Don’t take on too many priorities or more than you can handle,” said Brown.

Along with school being a big part of our lives, some students have jobs. They have them for various reasons, ranging from saving up for college to paying for gas money to drive to school and beyond. Being aware of your work hours allows for less stress and a higher success rate. Be timely and know when to schedule hours. If you’re busier on one day than another, then ask to get off early or simply don’t work that day. Brown said that she usually works on weekends so it doesn’t get in the way of her being able to play basketball.

Knowing how to balance both a job and your other obligations is crucial to ready you for your future, when you will be living on your own and supporting yourself.

Sometimes kids just want to relax. Although, hobbies may sometimes get in the way of what we really need to accomplish. Always be conscious of how much time you actually ‘take off’ from school. Furthermore, extracurricular activities are important for students to get involved with the community outside of school. Make sure you keep a clean, neat schedule of all of your events or things on your ‘to-do’ list. Ayden Kennedy (‘19) likes to be busy and is involved in sports, clubs, and volunteer work. To avoid stressing over out of school activities, Kennedy suggests, “If you don’t want to do something that’s taking up too much time, then don’t.”

Regarding school activities, sports play a large role in some students’ lives here at AHS. Being able to know when you need to focus on sports versus your education is a detrimental skill in life in order to be successful and organized.

Lastly, all students have a social life. Sometimes it can be very hard to have fun when you have too much on your plate. Between school and extracurricular activities, being social and taking a break is crucial for your health. If you push yourself too hard, you may be ruining your mental and emotional well-being. Always remember to take a break when you feel you need it most. Going, going, going isn’t always a good thing. “Add new priorities a little bit at a time and wait to add more until you know you can handle the ones that you already have,” said Brown.