Hi friends!

One of the toughest challenges that high school and college students encounter is to find the right balance between school work, activities outside school, social life, and family time.

Many students feel pressured to get involved in too many activities, take a heavy load of AP classes or even a combination of both. Though some people are perfectly capable of coping with such a tight schedule, most often than not, this leads to stress, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and less time to spend with friends and family. On the other hand, some people do not challenge themselves academically and avoid taking hard classes. Others take a healthy load of courses but avoid getting involved in school activities.

When I was in high school, I took an average of two AP courses per year and got involved in two-three extracurricular activities. This was the right fix for me, and it worked! Looking back on it, I remember my high school years as some of the most fun of my life. College was a different story since living on campus and managing your own class schedule opened a whole range of possibilities. Still, I kept the same mentality of maintaining the right balance between all aspects of my life.

This is what worked for me. Each person has his/her own motivations, goals, and time and stress management styles. Just keep in mind that it is important find and implement a healthy work/study/social balance to do well in all your endeavors, especially in school.

Till next time!

Carlos