Chic in Carolina: High School Productivity Tips

The second quarter just started last week at my school and honestly this is the time of year when your motivation and productivity start to drop. You no longer are quite as refreshed as you were in the beginning of the school year and are starting to feel "eh" about school work and getting stuff done. Especially for seniors, second quarter is a great way to improve your first semester average so I thought I would share my favorite productivity tips.

Turn off your phone

I always have my phone with me, which is great for staying connected but not so great for staying focused while doing homework. Put your phone on silent, put it out of eye sight, or put it in another room to help stay focused. Because I know that I let myself go on a "quick" Instagram break that turns into stalking random people and turning my phone off also gets rid of that temptation.

Make a to-do list

I know this is in like every one of my school advice posts but I swear by my to-do lists! They're super helpful in that you never will forget to do your math homework if it's on there and also you get the satisfaction of checking an item off once you finish it!

Set the tone with a good playlist

I either listen to music when I study or I want it completely quite haha! Having music in the background (depending on the music) can pump you up or calm you down so it's helpful to have the right playlist for your mood!

Do what's important first

With a big to-do list of homework it can be pretty overwhelming to start. Do what ever is the most important first. Typically, for me that's based on due date as I'm going to work on that essay due tonight before the worksheet due Friday.

Find your go-to study space

Seems obvious right? I love working in my room where it's (typically) quiet or at a coffee shop. Maybe you like to work at the library or in your kitchen. Find the space you work best in and go from there.

Start early

If something is due Thursday, it's probably not in your best interest to start on Wednesday. Allowing yourself more time to get something done helps your stress level stay on the lower end. Also, when you get home from school, get started on your homework so you finish earlier! Two tips in one haha!

Stay hydrated

Drink lots of water! Having a water to sip on while you're working on something is so important because water is so good for your body. Don't focus too much on your work that you forget to take care of yourself!

Use your free period
If you have a free period (we call it flex block at my school), use it! I cannot tell you how much you can get done during that period and it's 45 minutes of less work for you later in the day. I see so many people at my school waste their free period everyday by watching Netflix or going on Pinterest (ok, I do that sometimes too) but you can truly get so much done during this time period that it's slightly crazy not to use it!