As the juniors at North Atlanta are beginning their journey in the IB program, many of them are finding it difficult to adjust to the time commitments. With loads of school work, sports practices, club meetings, and after-school jobs, the Dubs have a lot on their plate. Despite these stressful circumstances, the Dubs always find a way to push through. Some students have even formed specific schedules and strategies to manage their time efficiently.

North Atlanta athletes often have to attend daily practices to remain in shape and maintain our teams’ winning streaks. This takes a lot of time and dedication. After practices and games, students come home exhausted and have limited time to do homework. This leads to cramming and pulling all-nighters just to finish assignments. The Dubs are also reaching the age where they are old enough to get after-school jobs. But the more students work, the less time they have. It takes a skilled student to be able to go to sports practices and work while still having time for school assignments. Sarah Anne Hamilton is an IB DP student who faces the struggles of balancing school, work, and sports. “I have cross country practice every day after school, and then I have to be at Chick-fil-A for work by 7:00. I get home at 10:45, so I have to rush and finish my homework if I want to get any sleep,” she said. 

Although students spend about seven hours in school each day, they still have loads of work to do after school. Homework is only half of it. Dubs also have to study for tests and quizzes and complete long-term projects. On top of this, juniors in the IB program have to worry about their extended essay projects which are due near the end of the year. Some students find time during the school day like during advisement or lunch, to get ahead on assignments and decrease the workload after school. Other students try to get work done in between sports practices and work. “I have tennis right after school, and then I have about an hour or two after practice until I have to be at work. That’s when I do most of my homework,” junior Isabel Pileggi said. 

School assignments on top of work and sports can be a handful, especially for IB students. But this year is the perfect opportunity for students to enhance their time management skills which will pay off in the future. No matter the time crunch, the Warriors always find a way to remain persistent and positive.