<p>I always have so much to do! I can't even hang out with friends because when I do I end up staying late doing work. So I've just decided not to hang out with anyone but I STILL have a lot of work to do. I need my sleep so how do you guys get enough sleep and get straight As? Especially those of you that have 4+ difficult APs. It hard for me to manage it all.</p>
<p>At least in my case I don’t. I usually get 4-5 hours of sleep, around 7-8 on the weekends. Personally I can physically go without a lot of sleep, some of my friends can’t. If you truly need to get more sleep your only options are better time management or giving up either a class that produces a lot of homework or an EC.</p>
<p>I don’t sleep as much as I should, and I’ve narrowed my ECs down to a select few that I enjoy the most.</p>
<p>Junior year was cake, although I only had two AP classes. This year I have 3 APs (all that my school offers) and seven classes total per day -College Writing (req. for seniors, semester course composed of seven projects), AP Gov, AP Lit, Bible, Honors Chem, AP Calculus and Spanish 3. At some point I decided I wanted to grow closer to my friends senior year so I l spend a few hours each week out with them. I also loaded up on ecs.</p>
<p>Yeah, so I don’t sleep. I’ve only had two all-nighters this semester, but at least half of the weeks so far I’ve averaged 3-5 hours of sleep per school night. Oh, and I’ve never had a cup of coffee, so I’d say I’m well on my way for being prepared for college haha. </p>
<p>The only things I don’t like are not being able to think soundly throughout the day and having to decide what doesn’t get done every night. Still, I don’t really stress out or anything, but that’s due to my faith- I trust and ask for strength and it comes, there’s no other way to put it. It’s fun, but tough. My only advice would be to push yourself and get better at being tired- it will become easier and easier, although there might be repercussions on your health and mind. Breaks and weekends are for refueling, but school, as I’ve come to accept, is for losing sleep.</p>
<p>^Either that or get really good at going at transitions. Some of the lost sleep is my fault because I can cut down on eating time or transitioning from school to homework (well, it’s debatable if I actually need a nap to be able to stay awake for homework haha).</p>
<p>This is a really ironic thread because right now I’m doing a lot of homework and had to take a break. I procrastinate a lot, so in reality, school shouldn’t be too tough, I make it that way, but it is tough (I just make it even worse). But what works for me is doing some work, taking a quick break, doing more, taking a break, etc. </p>
<p>But during the week, I normally get 5-6 hours of sleep (tonight will be an all-nighter, I guarantee). But on the weekends, I generally try to spend time with family or friends. During track season, it can get kind of bad, but it’s manageable. I’ll have time to do some work between directly after school and by the time practice actually starts, or on the bus to track meets. It’s all about finding little spots of time, even if it’s just 10 minutes or so. But track and quiz bowl are about my only REAL ECs besides volunteering and youth group, so I’d say I spend a good amount of time with those. </p>
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<p>Yes. This is what I do too.</p>
<p>So basically, I lose on sleep, but I deal with it.</p>
<p>I do this crazy thing called relaxing. No matter how much work I have, I don’t start it till 6:30 each day, at the earliest. It lets me have a break after a busy day and gets me recharged to get through hw.</p>
<p>I’m a senior, so right now I have to deal with 5 AP’s, College Apps, and my principal EC (school newspaper; Editor in Chief). My “secret” is to work selectively. Don’t aim for 100 in each class; instead, work hard towards 90+ in each class you find hard, and blow off the classes you find easy. Work hard only when you need to; find easy ways to doing everything, and try to study as little as possible while still doing well on tests. Work smart. That is the key. </p>
<p>For example, I can grasp AP Calc and AP Physics C rather intuitively, without too much extra work, so I spend minimal time on them. AP Lit is just essays, which I can get through without too much effort. AP Gov I do nothing because we learn nothing, though that might change near AP week. AP Bio is basically the only class I study for. With that type of organization, I can pull good grades without stress or loss of sleep, and manage College apps and the rest. </p>
<p>I say this from my straight A’s this quarter and consistent 7-8 hrs of sleep on weekdays, so try to follow my advice at least a little.</p>
<p>Wow I feel so much better now! Few of my friends have such heavy schedules so I didn’t realize a lot of other people went through it. I just figured I’m a slow worker and learner but I guess not. There is just so much work and studying to do that you can’t help but not miss out on sleep. I’ll just deal with it :l</p>
<p>@logic it just doesn’t come that easy to me. AP Calculus is something I have to study hours and hours for when we have tests because they are so tricky and cumulative. And I only took 6 wks of precal so I need to put in more effort than other people! There are always pop quizzes for it too. I have Honors Physics and it is easy but I still have to study for an hour or two. APUSH and English are SUPER easy, I hardly study, but have so much busy work that takes a while. And AP Bio I have to study intensely to get As. Honestly I wish I could spend as little time as you but I know there is no way I can start at 6:30pm and get all my work done. And I actually do aim for low As too :(</p>
<p>I’ve come to realize that above everything, my health and sanity are more important than my grades.</p>
<p>I go to sleep at 1:30 am, regardless of whatever the hell I’m doing, so that I don’t crash my car and die at 6:30 am. I spend a healthy amount of time laughing and hanging out with my friends or playing tennis, which eases my stress. I usually don’t get home until 5 because I’m out with friends. Then I chill at home and eat dinner and get started on my work at 7.</p>
<p>That’s not to say I don’t work hard. I do my work and I learn to do it well. For classes like Calc BC and AP Lit that include classwork and homework, I just do those things well and pray my tests don’t crash and burn. For my other two APs that only have tests, Bio and Physics C, I have to work. Generally, I spend a half hour to an hour working on Physics and only really worry about Bio when a test draws near.</p>
<p>For classes with a lot of work, it’s about learning how to do work quickly and effectively. For example, for AP Lit we have to write reports on books or plays we finish reading. I do my best to knock it out in an hour while still maintaining a high quality of work (and I’ve gotten all A’s on those… So far so good).</p>
<p>The key for me is finding a good balance between work, play, and sleep. Sometimes your work can be your play, too (I’m thinking study groups here).</p>
<p>I place a high value on my health because a healthy me is a happy me-- and a happy me doesn’t self-destruct or ragequit school and life :)</p>
<p>I usually only get 4-6 hours of sleep on weekdays. On weekends I make sure to schedule at least 8, usually 9+. It averages out to a little over 6 hours a day. Not a lot, but I don’t need much sleep to be awake.
As for work, the most difficult part is actually starting to do it. Once I start, it’s easy to keep going. Law of Inertia in work!</p>
<p>My junior year was and my senior year is loaded with APs, so I have done quite a lot in the time management department. Here are some hints that have worked out for me:
*Use the weekends to work on stuff, especially useful for online courses.
*Do not shower every day, but don’t go to school smelling like a hobo.
*Avoid lunch and do your extra work during lunch hours. Bring a cereal bar or two for the day.
*I second logic. Try for As in all courses, don’t go for an A+ along with several Bs.
*Do not waste all you time on College Confidential.</p>
<p>Also, I have a new motivation since it’s my senior year. I can get exempt from three finals (if you take a study hall, it can only be two), provided I get As every marking period in the classes from which I want to be exempted. So for classes which aren’t fun to for (see: World Cultures and English), this is a really big motivator for me. Don’t know what my third final will be yet… probably just whatever my lowest grade is.</p>
<p>I don’t get enough sleep. Ever. Except on the weekends. I got 4 hours of sleep last night…7 is my optimal on weekdays, but I hardly ever get that. 6 is workable. Lately I’ve been getting 5 and less though… Regardless, I digress and I completely agree with logic. Do the bare minimum you can do while still getting high grades and prioritize.</p>
<p>plan your time carefully. proper time management is vital if you want to get good grades and a good nights sleep without sacrificing one over the other. sleep is important for studying and learning because if you’re tired you won’t be able to concentrate. pick a time to start and finish studying and stick to it. if you go over the time, then stop. go to bed at the same time every night so that you’re sleep pattern is not disrupted. ensure that you’re getting an adequate amount of sleep so as you’re not tired the following day. 8-9 hours is sufficient. hope this helps.</p>
<p>Reading these posts is amazing. I get a full 7-8 hours of sleep a night and I have excellent grades, scores, etc., am taking one of the heaviest course loads at my school, am on top of all my work, and am involved in a few extracurricular activities.</p>
<p>I make sure my classes aren’t too rigorous. learned that the hard way</p>
<p>@suluclacdna that’s good but can you give any advice? lol</p>
<p>study in a quiet, focused library
do tomorrow night’s homework during class
do brainless homework on the car</p>
<p>but i get like 6 hours of sleep because of other things (ECs, self-studying various subjects, independent research, flute and piano practice etc)</p>
<p>It’s really all about prioritizing, I know I can do x amount of homework in the car, and y during lunch, so I really only have to do z amount now. Working ahead on weekends (because I have block schedule) is also really helpful, as is actual learning material vs. memorizing for a test.</p>
<p>My trick is to take a nap. Seriously, almost every day I’ll take a nap after I get home from school and my ECs. Then I feel refreshed to do my homework, and I can spend the rest of my night doing homework and studying. I typically go to bed around 2-3 a.m. </p>
<p>Of course, I’m kind of a “night owl”, so this might not be the schedule for everyone. Another way I prioritize my work is my utilizing my study halls. I have a study hall every day before AP Calculus, for example, so I do my homework and study for that class then. I also only study for tests (unless they’re a midterm or final) the night before, but that’s because I can retain information well and don’t need to review much.</p>