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 Bloomingdale
trombone student and busy high schooler Renat Epelman.
 Bloomingdale student Natalia
Leston emphasizes choosing only the most important classes and activities in
her approach to time management. |
Student
Perspectives: We Need More Time! —Julia Lo (Project Bridge) With track meets on Mondays, Environmental Club on Tuesdays, the school paper on Wednesdays, Bloomingdale MAP on Thursdays, your babysitting job on Fridays, and dance on Saturdays—all on top of homework, family matters, practicing instruments and training voice boxes, and hopefully a sufficient amount of sleep — freaking out seems to be the logical thing to do. But don’t fret; there are tons of tips and strategies to keep in mind to get through those awfully stressful days! I asked Bloomingdale students to tell their time management secrets… When asked how she handles her time, 15-year-old Bloomingdale student Renat Epelman, jokes, “I don’t.” She laughs, and I do too. “No I’m kidding,” she starts. “For me, the best way to handle my time, is, like, to not handle my time at all, you know? I’ll practice piano for a bit, then trombone, then I’ll do some math homework, then like, I’ll watch The Office, go back to piano, solve some chemistry problems, read a little, practice a bit more, check facebook, finish other homework, save the world…” She smiles. “The usual.” So in a way, Renat handles time by not really handling it at all? “Exactly,” she says. I tell her that she is a miracle worker. She responds with a feeble, “I try.” We chuckle. With Renat’s method, you handle your time by going with the flow. Do what you are in the mood for, do what feels natural—do what you know needs to be done. It’s okay to be a bit disorganized in that way, as long as it helps you withstand all those math problems, all the chores, and all the practicing—and helps you get them done. For more insight into the life of busy high school students with more on their plates than hours in the day, I talked to 17-year-old Bloomingdale MAP student Natalia Leston about her time management secrets. I was particularly interested in Natalia’s take on the topic when, during Spring Break, I found her facebook status to appropriately be: “Natalia Leston is running away from time.” When questioned on the topic, Natalia explains, “Spring Break never lasts a week as it’s supposed to. To me, it feels more like a weekend! I spend months waiting for the one week I can catch up on sleep, movies, T.V. shows, friends, and hey, maybe a little work too! Maybe. So I spent everyday doing something I had wanted to do for months, and some days, that meant absolutely nothing! It was great— I stayed up late, until 4 A.M., worry free! Then I realized the psychology behind the reason I was staying up so late... the sooner I fell asleep, the quicker tomorrow would come and the less time I would have before school started! So I guess that’s what I meant on my status, as I desperately tried to defy time! I bet no one figured that out! Deepness!” The attempted time-defyer continues, “It’s funny because as I move from grade to grade, year after year I tell myself I’ve never appreciated time this much! At first it’s difficult. I started off as a MAP student at Bloomingdale, and I had classes twice a week. I had my lesson and chamber group on Wednesdays and orchestra and music theory on Thursdays. Both days, I made it home no earlier than 9:30 PM. At the same time, I was taking English Honors, Trigonometry, Physics, American History AP, Jr. Jazz Band, Band 5, and Jazz History every day, as well as playing in an ensemble on Saturdays.” My mouth gawks open in surprise. Surely people can’t handle so much work in so little time! Natalia verifies, “Talk about stress! I was getting four hours of sleep on my lucky days— that’s when I realized I would have to make some sacrifices. I switched into regular U.S. history for starters, and decided to meet with the ensemble every other week. At first it was difficult for me, to do work after school, being in the city next to a park, with headphones, always running around tired. The last thing I wanted to do was homework. My grades weren’t looking so great as a result, and I was always tired! It’s only recent that I’ve finally gotten used to doing what needs to be done. I’m now going to Bloomingdale three or four times a week. I make it home late everyday; however, I've really learned the value of time, and sleep too! After school on days of Bloomingdale, I head uptown, get a snack, take a ten-minute walk and go straight to the library. I do as much work as I can before getting tired. (The librarian there doesn’t like me too much, as a result of having had to wake me up so many times with "Sweetie are you okay? You can't sleep in here!") I leave the library about thirty minutes before my class, to freshen up. Taking little breaks has really helped me, now that I've learned not to abuse the privilege! After my class I go straight home, no stops. Then at home, I'll eat dinner, relax for about thirty minutes with my family, and finish up any work I have. I use lunch periods in school to do homework every day as well; you'll never see me in the cafeteria! Being in a school with such wonderful, encouraging staff and kind students as well as friends has motivated me to do all of this. The last thing I realized I would want was to have to give all of that up!” |
 That virtually sums up Natalia Leston’s time managing life in a large nutshell. Natalia is a girl who is constantly surrounded by work, work, and work. There are so many things that she has to do, and very little time. As Natalia explains, it is important to take up only what you can handle. So if that means not taking every single AP or honors class, that’s perfectly okay. Take the classes and sign up for the activities that you know you can benefit from. And if that means having to choose which ones you think you will most enjoy, that’s fine. Natalia did it too. It is important that we all have some free time to sit back and relax throughout all our week’s mayhem. Dropping a few things here and there does not make you a slacker. Ultimately, it is the effort we put into our activities each day that counts, not how many or how good they might look on your résumé. While on the matter of choosing which activities and classes to take, it is also crucial to know when to say “no.” It sounds simple and easy, but in the moment of things, the appealing answer could lead to severe consequences. In an all-too-familiar example, your all-time favorite teacher asks you to join the Journalism Club, which meets three times a week, and the most appealing thing to do is summed up in an enthusiastic, “yes!” Yet, don’t forget that those days you also have a lesson, you have to baby-sit, or you have a science study session. Another activity to do on top of these will cause you some guaranteed stress, which no one likes. It is unhealthy, as well as no fun to sign up for every single thing that interests you, if you do not have the time. Don’t put that burden on yourself. So, if that means you have to take a step back to realize that three hours of sleep a night is terribly unhealthy—take a breather! We’re only human, after all! And if that means having to say “no,” even if it’s to your favorite teacher, your parents, or your best friend, do so. You only live life once; it’s much better (and less stressful) to endeavor to accomplish things in a focused, healthy, and manageable way. Too often I find myself wishing for more hours in the day. With all of the little things that need to be done, twenty-four is certainly not enough. My secret to time managing is this: when you’re feeling overloaded with things to do, make a list. If not for those little lists I scribble down on post-its, napkin corners, and on my left hand— I would be a complete failure at life, in general. I am not a particularly organized person, but seeing what I have to do written neatly down (whether in my planner or on my skin) with corresponding time limits and satisfying reward breaks— I gain a sense of self and how I can best go about my homework, chores, and social callings throughout the day. To get a feel of what my lists look like, here’s an example:
…and so on. With a neatly printed scheduled list, it is easy to make sure you are spending your time at home in the most productive way possible. And with rewarding breaks after every few things accomplished, it is an encouraging and helpful way to stay focused, since the delightful smell of freshly baked brownies can keep the motivation factor rather high… We, as busy students, teachers, musicians, and people, seem to run out of time all the time. Although it may seem a logical thing to freak out, don’t. That’s just a waste of time. Take a breather, think of what you have to do, and the most productive way of getting it done. And, remember to be comfortable and content with your schedule; take on only what you can handle, regardless of whatever strategies or tips you use. Follow these tips and strategies and you’ll master time in a minute! (no pun intended). |
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