BlogStudyA School Captain’s Top 3 Tips for HSC Time Management

A School Captain’s Top 3 Tips for HSC Time Management

Have a problem with time management during the HSC? Have so many commitments on your plate that you feel like you’re in a constant juggling act?

Meet Peter, a Pathfinder Alumni who also struggled to find a balance in Year 12.

“For one I was school captain and this meant a lot of different meetings. I also used to work most nights, volunteered at my local church, atteneded charity events and had family commitments.”

  • Peter attended Elizabeth Macarthur High School
  • His dream career is to work in the government
  • He plans to study a double degree in Economics and Computer Science at University

“I joined the Pathfinder program because I didn’t have any sense of organisation.”

“I had to drop one of my subjects just to give me some time to balance things. I really regretted dropping it and I knew that I needed some help.”

With the help of his Pathfinder Mentor Hannah, Peter developed a range of techniques to help organise his busy schedule. Find out what they are in this article!

Tip #1: Look For Help From Robots
Tip #2: Utilise Your Teachers
Tip #3: Should You Give Up Commitments?

Tip #1: Look for Help From Robots

Okay, not exactly robots, but one thing Peter found extremely effective for time management during the HSC was online organisational tools.

“The problem was I was trying to do everything at once. My mentor Hannah told me to use tools to space out all of my different tasks in a more long term way.”

So what are the tools Peter used in Year 12? The great thing is anyone can get them too!

Google Calendar

If you’re like Peter and you have a lot of different commitments, a paper calendar can get annoying because times and tasks keep on changing.

Google Calendar is a super simple solution.

Not only can you move time slots around quickly and easily, but the calendar will also send you a reminder when you have an important event coming up!

Google Calendar is a must-have for any HSC student struggling with time management and it’s easily accessible from your laptop or phone.

Learn how to get started with your very own here.

Trello

Hannah also recommended using Trello.

“During the HSC, I had way too many to-do lists on my wall.”

While to-do lists are key to success during the HSC it can be hard to organise and work out different commitments.

This is where Trello came super in-handy for Peter. It allows you to easily create, edit and move around one or more to-do lists.

“With Trello, I could just open my phone and slide the task across when it’s done.”

On Trello you can have a bunch of different boards that categorise the tasks from different parts of your life. This is great if you have a variety of commitments

“I had one for school, one for my captaincy and one for my personal life. It was really easy and helpful for segmenting my life.”

You can add due dates, links, extra details and anything else you need to make your life more organised and easier!

Learn how to get started with Trello here.

Tip #2: Utilise Your Teachers

One key thing that Peter found helpful for time management during the HSC was talking to teachers.

“The weird thing about teachers is sometimes you think they don’t really care. I definitely thought that for a substantial amount of time. But I found a great way to get through the year was having the ability to stay back after class and ask for whatever I needed.”

A lot of the time, students can find it hard to stay organised because they don’t know exactly whats going on in class.

Are there any resources your missing? What are the upcoming due dates or topics you’re studying? Communicating with your teacher constantly is the best way to keep up.

“I recommend staying back after class, sending emails or even going into staff rooms at lunch asking for help. It’s a lot better to see them in person. While it may feel awkward at first, at the end of the day they get paid to help you.”

Tip #3: Should You Give Up Commitments?

“Coming up to exams I decided to decrease in some areas. Hannah advised me that I had too many things going on, and I think that it’s important for students to recognise when they need to drop commitments that don’t help directly with exams.”

It’s true that during the exam period you need to be able to focus, however, Peter advises students to avoid dropping commitments in other parts of the year.

Extra curricular music

He quit work halfway through the HSC and ended up regretting this decision.

“The thing is, keeping commitments can actually give you more dedication. It pushes you to be more organised and aware of time and these are skills that make you more productive.

The fact is that if you don’t have any other commitments during the HSC you might find yourself just lazing off and playing games instead of using that extra time to your advantage.

At the end of the day, it is totally possible to balance your life during the HSC with the right time management skills. However, while extra commitments can be beneficial, the final decision of what’s best for you is a personal choice.

Need more advice on whether you should keep your extra-curriculars or other activities during the HSC? Check out this video.

Struggle with time management during the HSC?

A bunch of these tips and tricks came from a Pathfinder Mentor. Get a mentor like Peter’s to help you develop a personalised study plan in The Pathfinder Program!

Learn more or get started with an inspirational Pathfinder Mentor and get in touch today! 

Give us a ring on 1300 267 888, email us at [email protected] or check us out on Facebook!

 

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