In America today, many high schoolers pack their day with school, sports, clubs, jobs, and more. Then, they still have to manage their home life on top of that.

It is a lot for a person to manage, especially as a teenager. The years of high school are such a busy time in life, full of change and decisions. Amid a busy schedule, it is always important to have a plan. So, what are these kids’ plans? How do they manage their time, while still having a life outside of school, jobs, and activities?

Time sectioning

Some students manage their activities and school work by sectioning their time. First, Grace Soneral, a senior at Jenison High School, has a very busy schedule. She participates in AP classes, dual enrollment classes at GVSU, and golf. Also, she has a job, attends a bible study, and volunteers at her church.

When asked about her schedule, Grace said, “I usually block it off into time chunks. I will work in sections, give myself a break, work for a certain amount of time, and put away my phone and distractions. It allows me to complete all of my work in a certain amount of time.”

Know your schedule

In addition, other students focus on knowing their plan for the day, or even going with the flow. Lizzy Snider is a sophomore at Jenison High School. She spends her days at school, work (she has two jobs), cheer, and at home, where she helps out around the house.

“Normally, I like to make sure I have a schedule. Make sure you know what’s going on at any point, or if you can, try and just go with the flow. It helps a lot with stress and dealing with everything and managing,” Lizzy explained.

What is it like as a parent?

Undoubtedly, people often only think about how it must be as a teenager, trying to balance a schedule full of activities. But, what about their parents? Parents have to sacrifice a lot of their time for their kids, depending on the child’s academic and social life. Janette Souser is a working mom with four children. She explains that being a parent changes everything about your schedule.

“My kids are my schedule,” Janette stated.

When asked to elaborate, she talked about how as a parent, she has a lot of stuff to do. She has to prepare her kids’ lunch, transport them, and make sure their schoolwork is complete. Along with that, she has to homeschool her youngest daughter. Even though she has a job and certain hobbies, her kids consume most of her time.

Later, Janette said, “Most of my time is spent doing kid stuff or housekeeping.”

Many parents can relate to that. Having children requires a lot of balance between their school life and home life.

As teenagers and parents, it is a difficult thing to manage time and balance the different parts of life. School and activities can be very consuming. Yet, it is always beneficial to have a schedule that allows for time at home to rest and enjoy life as it is.