<p>How do you make the decision to have free time? I feel like for me (I don't even have that busy of a schedule) there's always more to do. If I finish my homework and studying, I can read the next chapter. If I finish that, I can work on my EC work. I can study for SATs. I should be reading this, studying that, writing this, learning that the list could go on forever.</p>
<p>So, in your opinion, when do you draw the line and say "this is free time." </p>
<p>(oh, and please don't say never i know that is the case with many)</p>
<p>This was definitely something I struggled with for a long time. I am one to constantly overcommitt myself and then expect to reach my full potential for each activity, even if this is next to impossible in the time I give myself. Obviously, it’s very hard on week day nights to have free time because of homework due the next day. I do try to set a time that I will stop working, if I am finished all my work for the next day, and do something relaxing before I go to sleep. On weekends, I tend to divide my time based on the day. Saturdays are mostly fun days - I participate in extracurriculars, see friends, get non-school things done. If I really need to I will do homework, but I try to make Saturdays as relaxing as possible. Sundays I reserve almost the whole day for work. This may be difficult for some because it is so many hours in a row but I like to have a free day and therefore will abide by the consequence of also having a very busy day. I also try to take short breaks during my work, to make sure I stay fresh.</p>
<p>To specifically answer your question, I don’t think there is a universal “stopping point”. It depends on work load, personal preferance, and many other factors. In general, I would say that you should not be afraid to take some time for leisure if that is really what you need but, like everything in life, it must be in moderation. Experiment and see what works best for you. People are not robots and need to figure out how to balance all their comittments while still enjoying themselves.</p>
<p>Free time is for people without ambition. My advice is to try and find ECs that you actually enjoy doing (aka I volunteer in a er, get to wear scrubs and hang around docs and blood for 4 hours a week), that way having no free time won’t be so bad.</p>
<p>I beg to differ, and I’m proof. I have pretty many goals, achieve more of them than I don’t, and I still have a good amount of “free” time (if procrastinating counts). I still get everything done, just manage to keep myself from getting too stressed by doing things like coming on here. I think free time is really important actually, although that could just be me.</p>
<p>Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.</p>
<p>As of now I can finish all that is due the next day real easily and just chill for the rest of the night…senior year is such a breeze! I am already prepared to actually study in college since I KNOW it will be needed because ive never had to study a day in my life but for now…Id rather not stress(seriously you dont need to be stressed all the time to get into a T-20 school…if u are going through high school stressing about building the perfect resume and getting perfect SAT scores than you arent going to experience high school like one should)</p>
<p>No, the ones I didn’t achieve I didn’t achieve for reasons that are out of my control. I did the best that I could, and I’m content with the end result of those situations :-)</p>
<p>Although I get good grades, I usually make having fun and relaxing priorities over work. (Work takes priority over sleeping and eating, though.) I go to boarding school; when you live with 600 people your own age, it seems like there’s always something better to do than homework. I want to succeed in school, but not at the cost of truly experiencing everything I can. If I have a paper due the following day but my friends want me to come have a water balloon fight (we’re really sophisticated at boarding school), I’ll do it; I want to look back on high school and remember all the fun I had, not all the work I did. After that, if I have to stay up all night to complete the work, so be it. I can sleep when I’m dead, after all. :D</p>
<p>I think it depends on how you define free time. If you’re talking straight-up relaxing – talking on the phone, reading for pleasure, watching a movie – I’d say <em>at the very least</em> take an hour before you go to sleep each night to do those things. But ultimately if you’re capable of spending all of your “free time” working, that’s great for you. So many people, including myself, could never do that. You just don’t want to push yourself past your limit - only you know what that limit is.</p>