Time Management by Angela

Time Management by Angela - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

What is the most important lesson you've learned from a teacher?

No lesson about the American Revolution, the unit circle, or the life cycle of a cell could ever be greater the most important thing I have learned from my favorite high school teacher. This information is not knowledge I have ever been tested on nor have been expected to know. But without this lesson, I probably would have not been as successful in high school than I was.
In high school I took 8 Advanced Placement course, 8 PreAP classes, participated in marching band (and was assistant drum major for two years), symphonic band, National Honor Society, Beta Club, and Mu Alpha Theta, and I danced at a studio outside of school. If it wasn't in class, I was at band practice, club meetings, dance class, volunteering for various organizations and events, or at home doing countless hours of homework, studying, and projects. I had a full plate and in the beginning, I struggled to balance it. Everyday I thought, "I have so much to do. How am I going to get this all done?" Then one day, at an afternoon study session for one of my AP classes, the teacher took a moment from explaining topics discussed in class to talk about one of the most important topic my classmates and I needed, time management.
He instructed us to take out a piece of paper and draw a circle on it. At first we had no clue what we were about to do. We were told to divide the circle into 24 hours. Then we began to shade in time that we spent doing our various activities. The circle filled up quickly; 8 hours was devoted to school and (hopefully) 8 hours was reserved for sleeping. That only left 8 hours in our day to eat, do homework and study, participate in extracurriculars, and socialize (which is important for high school students). For me, 2 hours were taken up on Monday and Wednesday for band practice, and the rest of my hours for Friday were gone for band practice and attending the football game. Mondays had another 2 hours taken for dance class. And all days had about 1 for eating dinner with my family. Homework normally took me 2-3 hours depending on the day. That left me with approximately an hour each day during the week to either socialize with friends, or relax on my own. During the weekends, I didn't have much time either. My Saturdays were spent at band practice/ competitions and on Sundays I worked on any weekend homework/ projects I had and spent time with my family. My circle was practically filled.
When looking at my 24 hour clock, I thought "I have no time to do anything." Then, my teacher shed light on the situation. He told us that it is okay to feel like you have no time. Two thirds of your day are taken up by sleeping and school. He knew that we had lots of daily homework and studying; AP students were supposed to be challenged. My teacher made us aware that a lot of our time is taken up by various activities, some required, and some vital for high school students. However, he also made us aware that we need to make time for some fun. He showed us some ways we can make time to socialize by making daily schedules or taking breaks from studying to talk to friends.
In the time it took my teacher to walk is through the exercise, I learned that it's okay to feel like you're always busy because in some cases, you really are. I realized I needed to handle my activities one at a time and plan out my day if I feel overwhelmed. Whenever I felt stressed, I remembered this activity. Without it, I wouldn't have not been able to be successful in my AP/ PreAP classes, band, or my other clubs. Not only did this lesson help me to get through high school, it is something that will be remembered and will help me for the rest of my life.