I remember being in high school when my older brother was in law school. He told me once that I should play classical music while I studied and then if anything happened to distract me, pause the music while I took care of it.
Then, at the end of the day, I was to go back and see how much music I had actually listened to during the day. The results blew my mind.
Getting distracted and wasting time are pitfalls that will threaten your focus as a teen in high school. Here are 5 common time wasters that you’ll want to avoid.
Too Much Phone Time
There is something that has wonderful potential but also contains the power to suck the life right out of you. It’s your phone.
Studying with your phone around is hard, let’s be real. We all know our brains are trained to open up the apps that will help us focus the least. Try turning your phone off for a set period of study time, and at the very least have it on silent.
Too Much Reading
Reading is one thing that homeschooling high schoolers do that is good, but it can also be a bad time waster. When you are constantly sneaking chapters of your favorite series, you are oftentimes blowing dedicated study time.
Don’t leave books in the bathroom. Not only is it unsanitary, but you will spend way too much time there. Reading is great and your parents should encourage it because it’s the best way to develop reading comprehension skills, but it cannot come at the expense of your study time.
Too Much Gaming or Robotics
You might really be into video games and can’t wait for the Xbox One X, or you might be into robotics and working the bugs out. Whatever you care about, keep caring about it, but only at designated times.
Your schooling is so much more than one subject or one pursuit.
Yes, you could develop a career in either one of those (yes, professional gamers are a thing), but no one cares about an illiterate gamer or an ignorant engineer. So study and stay focused on the subject at hand.
Too Much Socializing
Even if you are not a social media addict, friends can still be a huge time waster. Developing real, healthy, and interesting friendships should be a huge part of high school, but don’t let yourself fall into the trap of constantly letting them distract you from studying. Your true friends want you to succeed in life, so study.
Too Many Extracurricular Activities
Your high school experience should be much more than debate, basketball, and band practice. Extracurricular activities are great but need to stay in balance.
You and your parents might have a tendency to cram so many pursuits in a week that it can be overwhelming for you the student. Talk to your parents about your activities, and make sure you both understand what you want to pursue and what you can actually handle.
Always remember that your parents are older and have more life experience! They have a better understanding of how life works, and they may think you should cut something that you want to keep. Always have an open mind to their suggestions.
Using these tips, take your education into your own hands and learn to focus. Don’t just study, but train yourself how to study distraction-free.
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