“Time is what we want most but what we use worst.”
– William Penn

I sit here, in a poorly lit room, staring at an bleak fluorescent screen filled with questions and thinking that I should have been working on this AP Euro assignment earlier- but that moment in time has passed. Time is relentless, it is forever omnipresent and will move regardless if you are prepared for the future or not. My schedule throughout the school day perfectly encapsulates this.

The alarm rings and I quickly stop it – it is 7:25 AM. I lay in bed- knowing soon that I will have to go, but I desire sleep. Time now passes quickly and my eyes have drifted – it is 7:38 AM. I am late. I sprint to the darkened bathroom at the end of the hall and run the water and prepare for the quest to school. I peer outside the tinted window and observe the onslaught of cars which surround us; a trail of ants extending for miles. It is 8:25 AM, I am outside and running towards the school- still a long ways away. I hear the bell ring as I step inside the classroom. I’ve barely made it.

Escape; home. I’ve made it home. I decide to relax and the time passes quickly; it’s now 5:23 PM. My parents tell me to fold 3 large heaps of clothing. It’s 6:57 PM and I grasp my Algebra textbook and begin writing. I pick up my phone for a second. It’s 10:08 PM now- how’d that happen? My dad asks me if I’ll be done with homework soon- and I respond to him with an uncertain “yeah.” I rush to complete the several pages of Spanish homework I have and fill out a Chemistry lab response. It’s 11:35 PM! – a perfect time to begin the AP Euro assignment. I grab my phone once more just for a minute. I’ve finished. It’s 1:37 AM and I have to go to school tomorrow early to make-up a test.

I shouldn’t continue this year with a schedule like this, it isn’t very healthy and it isn’t very fun. Especially with a heavier workload this year, which will become heavier as the months continue, I need to change it. My English teacher has began this year with very light homework and the idea that we should improve ourselves. In our first unit, “You Make You,” our English teacher had us discuss and complete assignments based on our hobbies and activities that we enjoy and how we can make a better person out of ourselves. In order to improve my personal situation, I need to stop distracting myself with external items while doing work and keep focus on my tasks at hand. In order for me to move on with this school year and continue through with high school and eventually college, I need to get a firm grasp on my time management.

The alarm rings and I stop it – 7:00 AM. I rise out of my bed and I know I am going to prepare myself for the day ahead of me. I eat a healthy breakfast and make my way to the car. The weather is brisk outside and the streets are empty. Our car drives calmly towards the school and it is 8:10 AM when I arrive. In school, I am able to work on my homework during the few minutes of free time in each class.

I am home. I continue working on my homework and it’s going relatively quickly. It is 6:36 PM. and I have completed all my homework. I am able to spend the rest of the day on what I love to do. This time that I gain with maximizing efficiency and working distraction free is important- it motivates me to continue this pattern and enjoy my life more. I am able have plenty of time to sleep, play video games like this or this, watch shows that I enjoy, like this, watch YouTube, or play sports or hobbies.

I sit here, in a brightly lit room, looking at my completed AP Euro homework, which I had done earlier today, and I am now prepared for the future.