你是否被作业压得喘不过气？你是否有很多事情想做却总也没时间？合理安排时间，优先处理重要的事务，可以让你在学习之余做更多自己想做的事情，何乐而不为呢？
Meghan, 11, of Seattle, has a lot going on every day. "I practice piano, check my e-mail, read, and watch TV at night if I have time," she says. "I have extracurricular1) activities, such as soccer and dance, three days a week. I like to hang out2) with friends too. Usually, I fit most of these in ... but some activities don't make it." 
11岁的梅根来自西雅图市，她每天都有很多事要做。“我要练钢琴、查收电子邮件、看书，如果有时间的话，晚上还要看电视，”她说，“我每周有三天会去参加课外活动，比如踢足球和跳舞。我也喜欢跟朋友们一起玩。通常情况下，我可以安排好大部分活动，但有一些事就没时间去做了。”
How about you? Do your days sound like Meghan's? Are you able to fit everything into3) your schedule? Unless you have a superpower that can stop time, it's probably impossible to be able to do all the things you want to do. But it is possible to do more if you set priorities4). That means you separate out the tasks that are really important and make sure those get done. Then you can make time for everything else!
那你呢？你的每一天也都像梅根那样忙碌么？你能将所有活动都排入你的时间表吗？除非你拥有使时间停下来的超能力，不然想要完成所有你想做的事情大概是不可能的。但如果你把要做的事情按先后顺序排好，那么你就有可能做完更多的事情。也就是说，你要找出那些真正重要的任务，确保优先完成那些任务。这样，你就可以利用剩下的时间来做其他事情啦！
Must-Do vs. Want-to-Do
必须做的事vs.想要做的事
"Balancing schoolwork with everything else in life is extremely difficult," says Amorray, 13, of Whitestone, N.Y. "The things that I want to do every day are different from the things I need to do every day." That's true for everyone. There are some things that you pretty much have to do (must-dos) for a healthy mind and body: Going to school and doing homework are two. You also must take care of yourself by getting nine to 10 hours of sleep a night, eating healthy meals, brushing your teeth, and bathing or showering. And you can't exactly avoid chores and responsibilities, such as making your bed or feeding your pet.
“要平衡学校功课和生活中的其他所有事情是极其困难的，”来自纽约州白石市的阿莫蕾(13岁)说，“我每天想要做的事情与我每天需要做的事情都不一样。”这是大家都要面对的现实。为了拥有健康的思想和身体，有一些事情是非常有必要做的，也就是必须做的事，上学和做家庭作业就是其中的两件。你也需要照顾好自己，做到保证每天晚上9~10个小时的睡眠时间、健康饮食、刷牙洗澡。而有些家务活也是你无法推脱的责任，比如整理自己的床铺和喂自己的宠物。
But you also have want-to-dos. Extracurricular hobbies such as playing basketball, practicing the violin, singing, knitting5), and rock climbing are want-to-dos. So are volunteering with your Scout troop6), hosting game night with your friends, and reading comic books.
但你还有很多想做的事情。像打篮球、拉小提琴、唱歌、编织和攀岩这样的课余爱好都属于这一类。同样的还有跟你的童子军伙伴们一起参加志愿者活动，组织朋友晚上一块儿玩游戏，看漫画等。
"Although most of us would like to skip the things we have to do, we can't," says Harvard University psychologist Nancy E. Hill, who explains that must-dos should be your priorities. "The things that I must do every day, like walking the dog and homework, always come first," agrees Amorray.
“虽然我们大部分人都想要跳过那些不得不做的事情，但我们却不能这样做。”哈佛大学心理学家南希·E·希尔说。她指出，必须做的事应该是你优先考虑的事。阿莫蕾持相同观点：“我每天必须做的事，像遛狗和写家庭作业，总会放在第一位。”
Balancing Your Life
平衡你的生活
The key to balancing your life is to concentrate on your most important job. Right now that job is school. Focusing on school will pay off7) down the road8), no matter how hard it may be for you to buckle down9) right now. We promise!
要想平衡你的生活，关键在于全神贯注地做最重要的工作。当前，你最重要的工作就是学习。不论现在要你专心地学习有多么困难，只要你专注于当前的学业，将来一定会取得很好的成就。我们可以保证！
School helps make people better thinkers and better "citizens of the world", Hill says. Success now may also make a difference when it comes to college and careers. "Focusing on school will increase your opportunities," says Hill. "When you do well in school, you will have many more choices."
根据希尔的说法，学习使人更有思想，成为更好的“世界公民”。现在学习上的成就也会对以后进入大学和参加工作产生很大的影响。“专注于学习将会增加你的机会，”希尔说，“如果你在学校表现得好，你将有更多的选择。”
Try some of the following strategies10) to help you prioritize schoolwork.
试试下面这些帮助你优先学习的策略吧。
Write everything down. Get a weekly planner or notebook so that you have one place to keep yourself organized. "To make sure I don't forget an assignment, before I leave class I write down assignments in my planner," says Brendan, 13, of Seattle. Jot11) down due dates too.
写下所有的事情。准备一个每周计划表或者笔记本，专门用来安排你的活动。“为了确保我不会忘记某个作业，我在下课前都会在计划表里写下所有要做的作业，”来自西雅图市的布伦丹(13岁)说道。另外，交作业的日期也要记下来。
Check yourself. In your notebook or planner, make to-do lists and put stars next to the must-dos. Check things off12) as you complete them.
自我检查。在笔记本或计划表里列出要做的事情，在必须做的事情旁边用五角星标记出来。事情如果做完了就打上钩。
Be neat and organized. Keeping papers, books, and school supplies13) in order makes it easy to find and use them. Arranging notes in a multi-pocket binder14), using a desk tray15) with compartments16), and sticking to17) an electronic folder system on your computer are some ways to stay organized.
保持整洁有序。把作业、书和学习用品放整齐，这样找起来和用起来都比较方便。用多袋活页夹将笔记归类，使用有隔间的文件盘，坚持使用计算机的文件夹系统，这些都是保持整洁有序的方法。
Follow a routine. "Each day, I come home and finish all of my homework before I start my daily activities," says Amorray, who knows that having a routine helps her get assignments done. Build homework time into your daily schedule, whether it's after school or after a half hour of playing outdoors.
养成固定的习惯。阿莫蕾说：“我每天回到家都会完成所有家庭作业，然后再开始我的日常活动。”她知道，养成固定的生活习惯有助于她完成各门功课。记得把家庭作业也纳入你每天的日程表，不论是一放学就做作业还是先在外面玩半小时再做。
Create a study zone. Set up a regular space to do your schoolwork. Stock18) it with supplies such as writing paper, pens, and paper clips. Meghan likes to study in a cozy corner of her room. Pillows and blankets make it a comfortable "reading nook19)", she says. "I can really concentrate and get my work done."
打造学习空间。为学习打造一个固定的空间，并用学习用品来充实它，比如书写纸、笔和回形针等。梅根喜欢在她房间里一个舒适的角落学习。她说她用枕头和毯子弄出来一个舒服的“读书角”，“在那儿，我真的可以集中注意力，把作业做完。”
Break it up. A 10-page report or a yearlong project can seem scary20). Try dividing the work into smaller pieces to lighten the load. "Projects are always a long, spread out process," Brendan says. "I take the full amount of days I am given and split the work so I am not stuck with21) any eight hour homework loads."
分解任务，逐个击破。一份十页的报告或持续一年的项目看起来会很吓人。试着将工作分成更小的部分，这样就可以轻松很多。“项目总是一个漫长而又分散的过程，”布伦丹说，“我会充分利用老师给我的所有时间，将作业分散到每一天，这样我就不会面临一次家庭作业要做八小时的负担而无法解脱。”
Work with family and friends. Ask your parents to help you set and meet goals and remind you of important deadlines. "My parents help me to fit in my schoolwork with my other activities," says Brendan. Ask a friend to be a study buddy22), and do homework together or quiz each other before an exam.
寻求家人和朋友的支持。请你的父母帮助你制定和实现目标，并在重要截止日期到来前提醒你。布伦丹说：“我父母会帮我协调安排学习和其他活动。”请你的朋友做你的学习伙伴，你们一起做家庭作业，或在考试前互相提问。
Everything in Place
一切井然有序
If you try some or all of those strategies and still find yourself overworked and tired, or if you feel as though no matter how hard you try, you can't meet all your goals, you could have too much going on. Take a break, and talk to a parent, a guidance counselor, or another trusted adult about helping you cut back23) to a more realistic set of activities. You may have too much on your plate24)!
如果你尝试了以上的一些或者所有方法，却依然觉得任务繁重、筋疲力尽，或觉得不论你如何努力都无法实现所有目标，那说明你正在做的事情可能太多了。休息一下，跟你的爸爸或妈妈、指导老师或者其他可信的大人谈一谈，让他们帮你减轻负担，制定更加现实合理的活动计划。你在做的事情可能太多，超过了你的负荷。
Managing school and other must-dos so you can fit in your want-to-dos will help bring balance to your life. "Learning how to prioritize the most important things ... while still finding time for fun is a skill that will help you the rest of your life," says Hill.
管理好学习和其他必须做的事情，就可以让你有时间做自己想做的事，这样将有助于平衡你的生活。 “学会如何优先处理最重要的事情……同时仍然能够挤出时间来娱乐，这是一项对你今后的人生很有用的技能。”希尔说。
After you get organized, you may even find you have extra time for some new activities. In fact, you'll probably find that you're a whiz25) at juggling26)—work and play, that is!
等你把一切理顺后，你甚至可以空出多余的时间来开展一些新活动。实际上，你将很有可能发现，你成了一个杂技奇才(编者注：指拥有很强的平衡能力)——学习玩耍两不误，就是这样的！
1. extracurricular [ˌekstrəkəˈrɪkjʊlə(r)] adj. 课外的，课程以外的
2. hang out:<口> 闲荡；厮混
3. fit into: 容纳
4. priority [praɪˈɒrəti] n. (时间等方面的)在先，居前
5. knit [nɪt] vi. 编织，针织
6. Scout troop: 童子军
7. pay off: 得到好结果；取得成功
8. down the road: 在将来，今后
9. buckle down (to): 倾全力于，开始认真从事
10. strategy [ˈstrætədʒi] n. 策略，计谋；行动计划
11. jot [dʒɒt] vt. 草草记下，略记；匆匆记下(down)
12. check off: (经核对后)在……上打上“√”号
13. school supplies: 学校用品
14. binder [ˈbaɪndə(r)] n. 活页夹
15. tray [treɪ] n. (办公桌上的)文件盘；盛物盘
16. compartment [kəmˈpɑː(r)tmənt] n. 分隔的空间；分隔间
17. stick to: 坚持，坚守
18. stock [stɒk] vt. 在……中贮存
19. nook [nʊk] n. (尤指房间的)角落
20. scary [ˈskeəri] adj. 引起惊慌的，骇人的
21. be stuck with:<口> 无法摆脱，解脱不了
22. buddy [ˈbʌdi] n. 好朋友，伙伴；搭档
23. cut back: 削减；缩减
24. have too much on one's plate: = get a lot on one's plate <口> 要做的工作(或要办的事)很多
25. whiz [wɪz] n. <口> 非同寻常的人；奇才
26. juggling [ˈdʒʌɡ(ə)lɪŋ] n. 玩手技杂耍；变戏法