By Yehiya Ibrahim
Imagine you come home from school with a backpack. You have a lot of math homework, a spelling test to study for and chores to do around the house.. You also have a really cool idea that you want to make happen. Maybe you want to make a YouTube Channel code a video game or start a small business in your neighborhood.
Trying to do all of it at the time can feel like juggling too many things.. You don’t have to choose between doing well in school and building your big ideas. You can do both by changing how you look at your day.
-of waiting for a free weekend look for small pockets of free time in your daily routine.
-Use a 10-minute school bus ride to draw a picture or write down an idea.
-Use your lunch break to talk to a classmate who might want to help you.
-15 minutes before bed doing one small task makes a big difference. Little bits of time add up fast. If you do a bit every day you will be amazed at what you can create.
Another great trick is working with your teachers on your project for school. If your English teacher asks you to write a story you can write a story that features your business idea. If you have a science fair you can test out an invention. This way you get a grade and work on your dream at the same time.
To keep your project on track, treat it like an after school activity. Look at a calendar with your parents. Pick a specific time like every Tuesday at 5:00 PM to focus on your idea for 30 minutes. When the convenient time comes, put your phone away. Focus.
Your brain needs time to rest so you don’t get tired. Pick a time every night: stop, work, turn off screens and relax or play. Talking to your parents about your goals helps too. When they know what you’re trying to build they can help you manage your chores and schoolwork.
Building something while in school is hard work but it’s also like having a superpower. Even if your project changes you’re practicing being organized, working hard and solving problems. Those are skills that will stay with you for life.
Working together is really great. When you work as a team you can divide up the tasks and share the fun and help each other stay focused when school gets really busy.
It is also good to remember that making mistakes and having days is just part of the experience. Some weeks you might get a lot of homework. Have a big project due, like a history project, which means you will not have any time to work on your big idea. That is completely okay. Missing a days does not mean you failed or that you should stop trying. You just stop working on your project for a while, whilst focusing on your schoolwork and start working on your project again when you have more time.
Another thing that helps is to celebrate the accomplishments along the way instead of waiting until you finish everything. If you finally finish drawing one character for your game. If you write just one paragraph for your business, plan to be proud of yourself. Building a project is like going on a long hike up a mountain. Working on your project like your game or your business plan is like going on a long hike, up a mountain. If you only think about how you still have to go you might get tired but if you think about how many steps you already took you will find the energy to keep going and working on your big project.
Sources:
https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/juggle-homework-and-college-apps
https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/12-tips-to-balance-academics-and-extracurriculars