by Maria Donnelly

Time management will always be important, but until I was a junior I did not understand how important it really was. Junior year is said to be the hardest year and I truly understand why, now that I am one. Junior year is the beginning of college preparations and the beginning of a more independent life. Now that I can drive I am responsible for getting myself places and being on time and being able to pay for the gas I use. This requires a job of some sort, for me it means working four days a week after school and on Saturdays. Driving isn’t the only new responsibility though; I am now responsible for items that will go on my college application next year.

Not only am I trying to just have a good application, but I would also like to have a scholarship. Knowing that to get a scholarship I need to be involved in many different things I have decided that I need to do as many things as possible. Starting with National Honors Society and eMentoring as some of the things I can apply for to help me through the application process. As a junior I am also taking the PSAT for a chance to be a National Merit Scholar and on top of that juniors are also offered a variety of AP, college and honors courses and have to participate in the junior-senior service project.

Trying to figure out when I am going to do all of this is my biggest problem. Trying to manage volunteering, work, homework, family, and friends is challenging. Little things like weekly dinner with my grandma is getting more complicated as the year goes on. I seem to have too many things that I am trying to do and they slowly start to all pile up on top of each other. Procrastination is my downfall this year since there are so many more things due at once rather than the few things that I have had in years past.

As much as I love my free time I also just want to be part of anything and everything to help me. I know though that eventually this will pass and I will be a senior, but this year is going to be tough and I am going to need to know how to manage my time well, once I know how to do that I will be ready for everything to come.