Tried and True Time Management Tips for High School Seniors

Tried and True Time Management Tips for High School Seniors

It goes without saying (OK we'll say it) that senior year is incredibly busy. Many 12th graders have chosen to undertake the most difficult class schedule of their high school career, in addition to studying for standardized tests and completing dozens of college applications.Not only are you busy, but the pressure to succeed is incredibly high.  Before you get stressed out reading this, take a deep breath. Below are tips that will help you manage your time as best you can and perform to your highest ability on all the things that you have to do to make senior year a success.

Backwards Plan 

One of the most effective ways to think about the big picture is to practice backwards planning. This is the art of figuring out what your ultimate due date is and scheduling mini due dates in reverse to allow yourself to accomplish your tasks systematically.If, for example, you intend on applying early action or early decision to schools that have deadlines in November, set mini due dates throughout September to keep you on task with your essays, activity lists, and any other part of the application. That way, by the time November rolls around, you will have already made significant progress leading up to your final deadline.Take into careful consideration how long it takes you to write drafts of essays and be realistic about the number of drafts that you might need in the months leading up to your final version as you add your mini due dates to your calendar. It is very common for students to need more than six drafts of a personal statement before it is ready for submission.Remember, the level of excellence required to complete your college application is higher than the standard level required to do well on a high school English paper. Plan accordingly. Working with an expert admissions consultant can make this process easier; he or she will guide you as you craft stronger initial drafts of your work and stay on schedule.

Stay Organized

College applications are collections of many pieces of information. It is crucial that you stay organized throughout the process or something may get lost or left until the last second. One of your early steps in the application process should be taking inventory of all the work that is ahead of you.

• Do you know the process for acquiring letters of recommendation at your school?
• Are there people outside of your school that you hope will write you a supplemental recommendation?
• Have you tracked the hours per weeks and weeks per year that you dedicate to your top 10 activities?
• Are you applying to colleges that do not use the Common Application and, if so, have you gathered all the necessary forms?
• Have you made a list of every supplemental essay prompt you’ll have to answer?
• Are there deadlines by which you need to request an on-campus interview?

Gather all this and any other relevant information before you dive too deep in completing work. Having a map in front of you will make the journey a lot easier to navigate.

Don't Wait Until the Last Minute 

You may be able to earn an A on a class assignment when you start it the day or two before it is due, but that approach will not be nearly as successful in the college application process.Writing a persuasive, compelling personal statement requires time and thought that is best executed over multiple weeks. Procrastination is not your friend. Being methodical is. Set aside time every week, if not daily, to make a little bit of progress on your applications.You won't get them done all at once but before too long you will start to see evidence of the progress that you are making, and it will encourage you to keep moving forward. Give yourself time to not only develop your writing but to mature through the process.

Avoid the Trap of Perfectionism

Nothing destroys progress faster than perfectionism. The time you spend trying to make the first or second draft of your essay sound exactly the way you want it to is almost always wasted time.It's more important that you get your ideas out and generate enough content to eventually be able to go back and choose from strong material as you go deeper into the writing process. Save the fine-toothed combing until the very end. Before it slows you down or stunts your progress, silence the internal monologue that tells you something isn't good enough. Remember, the end result is what matters. Though the steps along the way may be messy, you will wind up with a better final product if you focus on making progress and avoid getting stuck in minutia.

Let Your Parents Help 

Most of the college process should be entirely your own. Your work and your voice must come through. However, your parents can be very helpful in keeping you organized and in managing your time.Put their increased experience to work for you. Let them assist in arranging deadlines and keeping you on task. If you work together and give your parents specific jobs on which they can help you, not only will you stay more on top of your process but your relationship with your parents during it will be less strained. Though it can feel long and cumbersome, we hope that you find a way to enjoy the college process and to learn something about yourself through it. Being in control of your own schedule will give you space for reflection and growth, making it possible for you to show admissions officers your best self.   The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.Ready to get started? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute conversation today!Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our newsletter.See what others are saying about us