There’s a saying out there: life comes at you fast. This can be true in many ways, especially for high school students. It seems as if there is always work to do- whether it be in school during class, out of school doing homework, or practicing hard on the field day in and day out. It seems to be impossible to get everything done on time and at the highest level, but with the right skills and strategies, everything can be manageable. 
Plan ahead
For most students, long term projects can be both a blessing and a curse. In the beginning, it seems as if there’s all of the time in the world to complete the assignment. Students think, “Why should I start it now? I have other things to do!” For a while, it gets ignored, until the last minute. Now, there’s only one night to finish a project that should have taken four. In order to avoid this, try to plan out a schedule to complete the work ahead of time. Assign certain days or a specific amount of time each day to work on the project to not only make the most of the time given but not feel overwhelmed with the amount of work. 
Take days off
Everyone needs a break sometimes. Life can get overwhelming and rewarding yourself for doing hard work is necessary. Maybe it is not the best idea to take off of school, as often times students end up with crazy amounts of makeup work that just add to the ever-growing pile of responsibility. If you can take off practice or two, maybe skip that club meeting just once- (if you give 100 percent to these activities on a normal basis) there should never be a problem. 
Work with teachers and coaches 
They are there for a reason. Make sure that these leaders, whether they be advisors, teachers or coaches, know what is going on in their students’ schedules and how it affects their lives. Students should not be afraid to ask for that extension every once in a while, and athletes should feel comfortable explaining to their coaches that maybe it isn’t the best idea to practice for two hours today but catch up on homework instead.