As time gets closer and closer to the due date for summer homework I find myself in a mixed state between stressed, fatigued, and frustrated. I'm nowhere near where I want to be in terms of assignment completion and I only have myself to blame. Procrastination and distraction have always been there to keep me shaking in my boots.
For the ladder part of the summer, sports would be take up most of the time throughout each day. I would go to practice in the morning and sometimes have games in the afternoon. By the time I come home I would set aside homework for later in favor of taking a quick nap. Next thing you know, hours are gone and I wake up late at night only to resume sleeping and push homework even further to the next day.
On other days, my family would make plans to go out and bond and I would join, seeing it as a rare opportunity to spend time with my parents when they aren't always busy at work. The same would go for friends as they themselves have their own agendas and can't always make time to hangout. Any chance of spending time with good people is always something I look forward to.
Lastly, there are days wasted simply because I had the urge to binge watch television shows, movies, and YouTube videos. Postman and Carr were right when it came to media. They argued that phones, tablets, computers, and television have become widespread around the globe, and that the extensive usage of such devices are taking a toll on the users. It sure has taken a toll on me. I can't do any book work without the persisting urge to check my phone every five minutes, and once I give in to that desire, I become engulfed with the content and lose track of time.
I guess that it is a matter of straightening out priorities and time management. Do you guys find deadlines intimidating? How do you cope with them? What can you do to stay on top of things? How can someone balance studies with personal life?
-Benjamin Verayo
Even though I'm not involved in any sports, I am busy with other activities at home. This summer has been a roller-coaster to me because my parents and I are constantly going to San Diego, Tijuana, Las Vegas, and Guadalajara so it's hard to fit in summer homework or get access to a computer. I know I can use my phone instead of a computer but typing an essay or blog on a computer is exceedingly more easier than a phone. Apart from traveling, I've been busy trying to help my mother around the house and helping her with a party we organized for my sister. Last Saturday, my mother and I stayed up til midnight to get the cake ready(and other things as well) and woke up the next day at 6 am to set up for the party. The party went on until very late midnight but overall a fun day for everyone which makes our efforts worthwhile. I've tried to make some of my summer time dedicated to my friends and always be there for them. Currently I am taking some time off of social media. I've been trying to clear my mind this summer and relax but it's difficult when knowing I still have obligations to do. If I'm truthfully honest, there has been days where I want to yank out my hair by just the thought of having summer homework but that's just me being dramatic (and 'extra') because I know I can finish the summer homework. Always got to keep a positive attitude. I do relate to you Benjamin about the last days of summer, having the desire to just waste away time on watching movies. I have even been napping more than two times a day because I feel my body just can't focus on anything. Trying to balance your personal life and education is a challenging task especially for teenagers but I believe that is the whole part of maturing and understanding how to balance your responsibilities and be punctual.
ReplyDeleteFocusing on Benjamin's last sentences it really comes down to time management between education and personal stuff. I have not had one year when a teacher didn't bring up time management with homework, projects, etc. Then with the wide range of emotions such as stress and fatigue and anything else
ReplyDeletebecause of deadlines I feel is self inflicted because time is being wasted on watching a show on t.v. or not being home because that is from poor time management. Even if you set up a schedule to do homework and do whatever with your personal life it also requires discipline knowing when to stop doing something. Then there's also the "What if I'm going somewhere out of town?" argument. If it's something like going to an event a few hours away knowing you'll be gone all day then put in extra work before or after said event. Then going out of state or country is also easy to take care of because you can just bring your homework with you on the trip so when you're just chilling with nothing to do, well then that nothing should be homework. What I'm trying to say is yes there is a lot of homework but it can be done easily with enough planning and discipline. -Dominic Diaz
Yes, I do find deadlines intimidating. They usually aren't as intimidating in the beginning, but once they get closer they really are intimidating. I would have to agree with you on everything that has been stated. Dealing with family, sports, and homework are very difficult to manage. I cannot tell you how many times I've stayed home doing homework instead of spending time with family. I would definitely try to do homework before but with family plans, sports,, and other things getting in the way makes it hard to work with. With that time seems like it goes by very fast. I think that if we were motivated enough, we would be able to stay on top of things. I tend to get distracted very easily, so I would leave my phone on mute to tone out everything. We could try to start our homework a few days before anything, before vacation, or even before family plans.
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