How to Balance Homework and Internships in High School

Taking on an internship can be difficult as a high school student, but you can find a balance and be successful at both work and school with these helpful tips.

Internships and high school can sometimes be overwhelming together. The best way to avoid this is to manage your time wisely. There are different ways you can prevent your studies from being affected just because you’re multitasking. Wondering what it takes to strike the right balance between an internship and your studies? Here’s a breakdown for every high school student who may be struggling with multitasking and time management. Even if you aren't doing an internship at the moment, these proven tips will help you balance your various tasks. Adjust your chair, fix your glasses, and take the plunge into my ultimate tips and tricks I use to balance my internships and schoolwork.

Prepare a vision board

This tip comes in at the top of the list, as it has done wonders for me. Making a board or chart with pictures and reflections of your dream life is the perfect way to remind you that you need to work hard to go a long way. Your vision board will motivate you to do better and make every opportunity count. Whenever there comes a moment where I feel like I should give up on my internships, I get a reminder of all I want to do and be.

Related: 3 Easy Ways to Pursue Your Passions in High School

Have a to-do list or daily planner

With people who are multitaskers, their list of work is often greater than the capacity of tasks their brain can handle (I know from personal experience). Making to-do lists helps you keep focused on important tasks and reminds you of all the productivity your day can hold. A planner is highly efficient when it comes to prioritizing your work and deciding whether you should read the English chapter first or write that email to your manager.

Don’t let the work pile up

This advice is something we hear all the time but never bother to follow. Name someone you know who actually follows this. If you can, it’s likely they might be running a more successful venture while we’re here sitting and thinking, “Why is there so much work to do?” The easiest approaches to this are to never miss your classes and to complete the tasks assigned at your internship as soon as possible. If you get behind, things will start to get overwhelming, and your heap of tasks will seem never-ending. This is where your daily planner really comes in handy! 

Related: 4 Techniques to Improve Your Time Management 

Invest a little more time toward your studies

This might have you thinking, “This definitely will not benefit me in striking a school-work balance,” but hear me out. The subjects you’re studying and the knowledge you’re grasping significantly help you in your internship. Whether it’s a writing job or working as a mechanic, you learn the basics from your schooling. Let's say you’re investing five hours of your day to your education and three hours to your internship, but those hours won’t compensate for all the homework and studying you need to do. Remember the previous tip? Don’t let it pile up. Instead, spend a total of seven hours on school, if you can manage it. You will see how better this schedule becomes over time.

Say no to procrastination

The biggest enemy of any student is procrastination. You may be a bright student who drips talent, but this evil can destroy your time management skills in seconds. Being prey to procrastination myself, I know it gets harder to avoid the work stress, and then everything is accompanied by guilt. Make it a habit to complete your work as soon as you can—not after watching one more episode of that Netflix series. Complete the task first and then take all the time you want to rest once it’s done, because rest is important too. Try doing one task at a time, and always start with your school tasks so you can give ample time to your internship without having to worry about unfinished homework.

Related: Top 10 Ways to Avoid Procrastination

These steps might sound impossible right now if you’re already stressed, but as a student, I can assure you that enforcing these habits for at least 21 days will lead you to building them into a natural practice. Make sure you follow these tips and accompany them with some other important elements such as a proper sleep schedule, healthy diet, and time to relax. When blended the right way, this formula opens the gates to the magic of a balanced student life—one where you’ll have no stress over studies and internships or doubting your talent. Remember: It’s normal to feel overwhelmed while doing a lot at once, but it’s the ripe fruit of a successful and content life we are chasing. Do what makes you happy and proud, and gradually you will find your balance.

For more advice on maintaining your mental health, check out How to Manage Your Stress for Better Health as a Student.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Varnika Dhyani

Varnika Dhyani

Varnika Dhyani is a student who aspires to bring the best of stories to readers. Most of her writings are personal blogs and cover her perspective. She has a thing for the dramatic in stories and always looks for ways to embrace her creative side. She’s dedicated to sharing with the world the little things that lead to bigger changes. 

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Maurice Whan

Maurice Whan

$2,000 Spring Scholarship Contest Winner, 2021

This year has been tough for my family and myself, so receiving this scholarship has been a blessing in disguise! CollegeXpress has been an excellent resource in helping me prepare financially for college. Thank you again for this amazing opportunity!

Kelly Nogueiro

Kelly Nogueiro

Counselor

For me, CollegeXpress has given me a valuable tool to use with my students to explore colleges easily beyond objective data. It helps me find colleges for students that fit their needs and wants that aren’t quite so black and white. It's a wealth of knowledge, and the Type-A side of me loves all the lists and the fact that I know they're coming from folks who know what they're talking about. I share it with colleagues and students alike, and it's always well received.

Cameron Lee

Cameron Lee

High School Class of 2022

I used CollegeXpress to search for colleges. It helped me narrow down the schools on the West Coast and which schools had Construction Engineering programs. I made my decision to go to OSU and I am so excited about it.

Caio Matos

Caio Matos

High School Class of 2022

Starting the college admissions process as an international student was daunting. Thankfully, CollegeXpress was the first website I used for that cause and it helped me so much, from knowing where to start to deciding what my next move would be. I'll take a gap year, but I’m certainly using the website again when applying for fall 2023.

Tariq Adam Khatib

Tariq Adam Khatib

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me a lot. I am a Tanzania boy who finished my high school studies in Tanzania. I never knew I could get an opportunity to get a scholarship to study abroad. I am happy that now I know how to find the school to study abroad through CollegeXpress.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, PA

Bryant University

Smithfield, RI