While we all have the same 24 hour day, how we choose to use them is up to the individual. Sophomore Tristan Caudill, junior Christian Frank and  freshman Dhruv Kadam describe how they make the most of their 24.

Sophomore Tristan Caudill

Waking up around 6 a.m., sophomore Tristan Caudill starts his day by eating breakfast and making some coffee to start the day. 

“Having something that’s light [and] gives me a boost of energy without making me hungry [before] my lunch time is extremely helpful. I’ve been making myself some coffee since one of my favorite things to do is procrastinate. Coffee is extremely helpful to me since it gives me the energy which is what I need when I haven’t done as much homework as I should have,” Caudill said. 

Caudill participates on the boys varsity swim and dive team, tumbles and works between four to 12 hours a week at Chick-fil-A. Caudill plans out mini breaks to help him get his work done on time. 

“Basically, I try to do my work by subject. I’ll do like one subject then I’ll take a break to get a snack or to take a power nap or just a little TikTok break, so I don’t mentally burn out doing the workload I get from every class,” Caudill said.                                                   

Even though he takes breaks in between his workloads, Caudill likes to make sure he has enough time to relax by multitasking. 

“Instead of thoroughly reading the textbook, sometimes when I have a lot of pages to read and other homework to do, I use the audio button to make the textbook read to me while I’m doing other things if it has that option,” Caudill said.  

Most of the time, when he has to work at Chick-fil-A or attend Trampoline and Tumbling (TNT) club, he is up late to finish his assignments. 

“Sometimes I’ll take a nap at like 11 p.m. and then wake up at 2 a.m. and be like, ‘OK, it’s Chemistry time.’ Other times, I make coffee at 10 p.m., so I can do more homework,” Caudill said. 

While Caudill balances school work, TNT and working a job at Chick-fil-A, he sees it as an opportunity to grow and understand new values.

“Even though I’m extremely busy on certain days, I just try and do the best I can since being a part of things, like TNT and work, have helped me grow as a person. I’ve learned how to be more outgoing and more empathetic towards others,” Caudill said.

Junior Christian Frank

Like Olympic athlete Michael Phelps, junior Christian Frank begins his morning like the champions with a big bowl of Frosted Flakes at 6 a.m.

“I like eating cereal in the morning since it’s really easy to make, and since most cereal has sugar in it, it’s really helpful in keeping me awake and giving me enough energy to get through the day,” Frank said.

Frank goes about his morning routine, next completing the Parkway daily health screening.

“I wear a mask everywhere I go, which I don’t like since they are uncomfortable, and I’m not used to wearing one and always leave them around. I can’t go out with friends or do anything with people like I used to do,” Frank said.

To relieve some of his everyday stress, Frank uses his school daily planner to organize and prioritize his goals.

“I just focus on one thing at a time and not stress about the other things I have to do, so that I’m only worrying about one thing and one thing only and I can give it all my attention. On Monday, after I got home from school, I immediately started doing my harder homework then made something to eat so I wouldn’t be hungry when I had to go to work. Doing my harder homework before going to work just lets me be more carefree when I go home since I can easily finish the assignments that I know aren’t going to take that long then just rest after a long day,” Frank said. 

Understanding new topics and making sure Frank’s homework is done efficiently and correctly is not a problem for him. 

“I cut corners with stuff that are small and stuff that I already know how to do and don’t need any more practice on that  subject by sometimes doing the worksheet with a friend so if I do get stuck on a problem they can talk over how to solve that problem so I can understand it better,” Frank said. 

For Frank, knowing his schedule beforehand helps him plan out his time in the most efficient way. 

“Getting to plan out my schedule allows me to get more work done and feel like I’m doing a more efficient job on everything. Due to COVID[-19] I feel like having better time management skills will help me find better opportunities and improve aspects of my life such as being less stressed out and learn more on prioritizing things,” Frank said. 

After a seven-hour school day, Frank begins his six-hour shift at Chipotle, where he takes orders and prepares food for customers.

“Having a job at Chipotle is helping me get used to it so that [I] kind of have an idea on what it’s like to have a job. [It] is also helping me be more patient and learn how to pay more attention to details. Baseball helps [me] stay active and healthy which is good for the future, and it helps me branch out and be more outgoing,” Frank said.

Freshman Dhruv Kadam

Staying in his pajamas and heading to the kitchen to make eggs and toast, freshman Dhruv Kadam takes his time in the morning. The rush to get up early to catch the bus no longer exists as Kadam has opted to remain home and learn virtually.  

“It’s easier being at home since I don’t have to wake up as early as normally and I feel more comfortable being in an environment I know such as my room. [It] helps me have more confidence when talking in front of the class,” Kadam said. 

While Kadam works on his time management skills he has discovered the importance of finding balance in life.

“I like to play games like NBA 2k, or even table tennis with my siblings. Whenever I have the time I try to finish early so that I can get more free time. Being able to have more free time just allows me to feel freer,” Kadam said. 

While there are some pros to taking online classes, understanding French II has proven to be more challenging  for Kadam because of technological issues.

“There’s issues with WiFi and it [can] be harder to fully understand what my French teacher and other teachers are saying when they consistently get cut out,” Kadam said. 

Kadam understands that freshman year brings on new academic challenges such as heavier workloads and busier schedules. 

“I think being able to know what I need to get done is helpful for me since I won’t forget things and can figure out how much time I’m going to spend on my homework,” Kadam said.