As an involved teenager, my life has always been exceptionally busy.  This past month or so, though, my life has become even busier than ever before.  Currently, I am heavily involved in school (where I am taking four AP classes, in the middle of a high school football season, applying to colleges, and trying to balance a social life and a girlfriend in there).  This fast-paced lifestyle has been hectic, but there are also some major upsides to it.

The first of these upsides is the changes I have made to my management of a busy schedule.  Throughout my life, I have struggled with poor time management skills and a tendency to procrastinate at random.  Due to the sheer volume of things I need to do, I have become much better at managing my schedule.  While it doesn’t sound pleasant, I have also been forced to stop procrastinating by my life.   For example, I have a late arrival period at my school.  While most students use it to sleep, I use it to do my college applications, because I would never get them done otherwise.

I also developed a greater appreciation for the little free time I have.  When I was younger, I took free time for granted and never really grasped what it really meant to be busy.  Now that my life has become a bit hectic, I have gained a true appreciation for what free time I have.  Instead of taking for granted that I will get to see my friends or my girlfriend, I realized that I need to plan my life in order to have time to see people and find space in my schedule.  This isn’t necessarily fun, but it has helped prepare me for what adult life will be like.

Finally, I learned how to use a calendar properly.  I know that makes me sound really dumb, but it’s completely true.  I have always had a big day planner type calendar, but I never really used it to its full potential.  Now that I am so busy, I have needed to fill it out in order to stay on top of life.  This calendar has become my saving grace, because it keeps my life in order.

There is a considerable deal of stress that comes with living a busy life, but it pays off in the end.  In the meantime, while you are stressed, you will learn a lot and become prepared for the real world.