What if I run out of time?

[haleigh]

I went to my highschool night to pick out all my classes for the new year. This is the first year I'm in all honors classes... Honors English, biology, honors history (ancient civilations), and my electives. From what the guidance counselor was saying, I'll be getting 3-5 hours of homework each day. I was personally surprised. I actually thought being in the 95th percentile was dumb, until I actually reliazed what it meant

 

I get home at around 3 15, won't be getting done with homework around six, and I still have chores. THEN I can deal with Joy. I can drop the classes, but I won't, since school IS more important than Joy, but I have no idea how to manage it. Do I start waking up at 4 instead of 5 to run her for an extra hour? To I take all my homework to the dog park to let Joy run?

 

I deleted my myspace a month ago to resist any temptation. Playstation isn't even thought about until Joy's fed and put to be for the night. Friends can't come over unless Joy has had an hour of exercising, and short training session. Already, it

s pretty tough, but with the new classes, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Dad (kind of) suggested giving her up, but I went crazy. If there is one thing I won't do, it's give her up.

 

 

ETA: Yes, for anybody who'll say something like "Did you REALLY think through how having a border collie will affect your high school career?" or anything like that, I did, actually think for a couple weeks if I could handle a BC. I've been having difficulties with organizing, and failing half my classes since 5th grade, so I never thought I'd get into all honors.

[pammyd]

you know I think she will be a good thing

You need time that isnt work

 

Also remember that she does not ness need 2-3 hours running about a day - she can get used to that but she does not need it

 

a 30 min walk in the morining will be good for both of you (you need time to exercise and get some fresh air too)

Then when you get in you could have a 10 min chuck about with a ball before you start homework

 

Then think of some way she can help you with the chores? feching things for you, closing doors, practising stays wile you do something, heeling as you carry things

Then a nice long walk will be good for her - and will give your mind a break too

 

And then at weekends you can spoil her

 

Plenty of people have dogs and are out 8-6 or something, she will be happy you are home and will get used to your routine

and she can help you from burning out from all work and no play

 

Well done with your school, its only a few years of your life and it will be worth it

[Maralynn]

I would venture to guess that most dogs here are owned by folks with a regular 8 hr work day, plus everything else that comes with life (housework, yardwork, kids, etc).

 

BCs don't need several hours of exercise/training a day. If you have an hour of time spaced throughout the day that is devoted to her, you should be fine. Give her extra time on weekends or during school break. And teach her just to chill while you are studying. My dogs will curl up in a corner or by my feet when I'm just sitting there working. And then they're ready to go when I'm done!

 

You'll be fine, and she will too!

[Jack & Co.]

Part of being a top student is learning to manage your time well. My oldest son had 3 AP classes this past semester which all required lots of work. He is also on the Varsity Quiz Bowl team so he has several practices a week and Saturday competitions which are always at least two hours away. Jack keeps both of my boys "sane"---he helps them make a good transition in the afternoon from school to home. They usually take him outside with the Chuck-It and play when they get home or they will play with him in the house. Jack is always so glad to see them that he curls up with them wherever they are doing their homework and just hangs out. I usually see them with a pencil in one hand and the other hand on the dog's back.

 

My oldest son heads to college next year and he is really going to miss Jack.

[Nik]

You've gotten some really good advice from others so far. The main thing is NOT to stress over this. It sounds like you are already working yourself up w/ worry about this and it will just make things worse for you and Joy if you keep it up. I agree w/ pammyd about having Joy as an outlet from all the other stuff you will be doing throughout the day. It WILL work for you and her both.

 

My two are content to lay around the house all day or just follow me while I'm doing my housework and then get bursts of energy mainly in the a.m. and p.m. to play. It doesn't take long to wear them out physically (although they would go, go, go all day if I let them) and then mental games inside off and on. Chances are it won't take long for Joy to get into the new routine that you lay out for her as long as she is with you while doing homework/chores/etc.

 

Your best bet is to use all this mental energy to put into your schoolwork and the rest will work itself out. Congratulations on making all honor classes btw...that is something to celebrate, not worry over!!

[juliepoudrier]

My two are content to lay around the house all day or just follow me while I'm doing my housework and then get bursts of energy mainly in the a.m. and p.m. to play. It doesn't take long to wear them out physically (although they would go, go, go all day if I let them) and then mental games inside off and on. Chances are it won't take long for Joy to get into the new routine that you lay out for her as long as she is with you while doing homework/chores/etc.

 

Your best bet is to use all this mental energy to put into your schoolwork and the rest will work itself out. Congratulations on making all honor classes btw...that is something to celebrate, not worry over!!

^^What she said. Joy will probably be happy just hanging out with you while you do your schoolwork. Do make time to exercise her because the exercise will also do you good and help you cope with the stress of schoolwork and your budy schedule. Joy doesn't need hours of exercise a day. If you have trouble organizing, it might benefit you to have a detailed calendar and plot out your times for everything, including quality (note I said quality and not quantity) time with Joy. You'll be less stressed knowing that your routine is set for you (same with Joy), and by helping yourself be more organized you might find that you actually end up with more free time than you might have imagined.

 

The one question I do have, though, is will your parents support you in this? If they can help you be more organized and maybe even give Joy a little playtime as well, it could go a long way toward relieving some of the stress you're feeling. Remember that studies show that pets actually help relieve stress!

 

I especially agree with Nik's last paragraph above. Stop wasting energy stressing over the "what ifs" and "might bes" and instead come up with a game plan (written schedule) that works for both you and Joy and then stick with it.

 

Good luck! (And you might find that the schoolwork isn't as difficult as you imagine it will be. The classes for which you have a special affinity will likely be a breeze, which then frees up more time for the more difficult classes or other things. If you are really worried about making it in these classes, consider finding a course on improving your study habits. It's amazing how much time a person can waste just with poor planning and poor study habits. Yes, taking on yet another course might seem a bit overwhelming, but if they course helps you to manage everything else better, then it will be well worth it!)

 

ETA: I should have added that even with the best schedules, there will be days when things get away from you and Joy may not get all the time you had planned for her. She'll be fine. If she has learned how to settle down, and if she can stay with you while you do your homework (chewing on her own toys or whatever), she'll adjust. Those occasional days of "neglect" are nothing to lose sleep over--we all have them and our dogs survive just fine.

 

J.

[Chesney's Girl]

Since I am still in school I will tell you how my week usually plays out. For starters, I go to school in Louisiana, my family (parents, sister, friends) live in California so I don't have them to count on for help with Chesney. I have to do it. I played soccer for a division one school (I just finished my last season in the fall) which has the team up conditioning at 6 until 8am then I go to class from 8-1pm then we have practice from 3-5:30pm ten I come home eat shower and start homework. Chesney gets out to potty and maybe a 5 min ball session most days during the week. On days that I find myself with a few extra minutes its spent hanging out with him. He is just happy hang out with me when I am home because I am gone for most of the day. Since I finished soccer this semester I have 19 hours which actually leaves me more time to spend with Chesney than I thought. The whole weekends get spend doing something with him. He's survived and so have I.

 

I'm really glad I have had Chesney with me throughout school. I think he keeps me sane. I think you and Joy will be fine, and like everyone said just give her your time when you have it and she will be happy. Let her be with you while you are home and I think you will find that she will be pretty forgiving when you are busy doing something. Just relax and don't worry about it and let her learn the new routine. I think you will find that you actually will have more time for her than you are thinking. And like Julie P said, if your parents are willing or able to help I'm sure they will enjoy their time with her as well.

 

Congrats on the accomplishment. Just relax it will work out.

[sheepandakom]

I'm in law school right now. It's a lot of work, but my dogs are adjusting well. I make sure to set aside time for them and when I'm busy, they can play with their toys and chew on bones. They're all pretty wound up when I first get home, but after a good run outside and a short training session, they come in the house and settle nicely. Although there is a lot of reading involved, I am glad that I can do most of it at home. Many of my friends spend hours in the library reading and studying, but I prefer to be home with my dogs. It's nice to be able to take a break and play with the dogs and I prefer their company to my classmates. Don't worry too much, you will learn to make time for Joy, and she will adjust to your new schedule.

 

Emily

[JohnLloydJones]

I get home at around 3 15, won't be getting done with homework around six, and I still have chores. THEN I can deal with Joy.

That's actually better than a lot of us who are away at work all day. For what it's worth, here's how I cope. We go for a 1 hr walk in the morning (that's 5 - 6). Every day; rain or fair weather. Once we're back, Senneca is OK to just hang around while I have breakfast. I feed her, fill a couple of Kongs with treats and go to the office. She's alone all day. When I get home, I change and take her out in the back yard for a few minutes of weave pole practice. Then we can go to the dog park (where I see plenty of young people studying from books). When I need to work, whether it is chores or office work, Senneca is happy to see I'm around, but doesn't pester me (she's learned!). To help, I make sure she always has something to distract her; stuffed toys, chew bones, kongs or whatever she enjoys.

 

Other posters have mentioned using your time effectively. I find that I can work through problems in my head while we are out for a walk, so that the time is well spent. Also, doing things with your dog gives you a break that reduces the chance of mental fatigue -- a big danger when you are doing study intensive course work. Last, but most importantly, interacting with your dog is a powerful source of positive energy. She will give you the motivation to work harder. Good luck.

[Jack & Co.]

I went to my highschool night to pick out all my classes for the new year. This is the first year I'm in all honors classes... Honors English, biology, honors history (ancient civilations), and my electives. From what the guidance counselor was saying, I'll be getting 3-5 hours of homework each day. I was personally surprised. I actually thought being in the 95th percentile was dumb, until I actually reliazed what it meant

 

Haleigh, you will be glad you have challenged yourself in your schoolwork because colleges prize students who choose a rigorous course of study. All of the applications my son worked on asked for a list of the Honors or AP courses taken. It shows that you are willing to work at a higher level and that could make you a good fit for their college.

 

When you figure out a schedule that works for you, don't completely immerse yourself in your schoolwork. Try to add in extracurricular activities that have meaning to you--we found out that colleges like to see that you are passionate about something and stuck with it.

[Guest SweetJordan]

Well I'm sure you got some great advice, I don't have time to read what the others wrote as I have a friend waiting to play Frisbee (I'm on vacation).

Anyway, it's all about time managment. I didn't get my first dog until I was a young 21 (by first dog I mean non-family dog) I found undergraduate easy to manage my time. I only went to class twice a week even though I was full time, boy did that make her happy. Anyway, I had two dogs in graduate school and was very busy. I hardly saw my friends during that time period, but I still spent the same amount of quality time w/ my dogs, as being a student meant that I was at home a lot which is why I mentioned quality. I knew that they wouldn't understand me spending less time w/ them and I'm very anal about making sure everyone gets the right amount of exercise a day etc.

If I were you I would get up early to do something w/ her in the morning before school. You already get up fairly early so I don't think a 4 a.m wakeup time is necessary. I would spend 15 to 20 min. of quality time with her before you leave. Instead of running(or if you really want to run her bike her instead she'll wear out much faster) do something where she can exercise and use her mind. I've found that a great indoor activity for Rye is playing soccer(we use a smaller soft stuffed one), she gets as tired doing that in that time frame as anything else. Not only because she is moving to stop the ball but more so because she is thinking and watching where the ball is going to be kicked. She'd much rather do something physical and mental than say learn a new trick to show off unless it involves a Frisbee then she is very eager. But of course you know your dog best so find something that will work for her. I often use to do some agility runs before heading off to class. I mentioned the indoor activity because you don't even have to get dressed to do it. And if you get yourself organized before bed, if you don't already do so, you may find that you don't actually have to get up any earlier than you do now.

If someone didn't mention it leave her things to do while you are gone such as Kongs. Also, you can't spend all your time doing work and it wouldn't be good for you to try either. But when you are studying and doing homework take short breaks every so often and use some of that time to play w/ Joy. You'll need the breaks and she will enjoy the time w/ you. Finally, since you have class during the week spend some extra time w/ her on the weekend.

I think that once you hit your stride you'll find that you will have plenty of time to spend w/ Joy while still having the time you need for your school work. And this is high school not graduate school so make sure that you leave room for a social life. It will work out fine, you'll just find that you have less time to sit around to do nothing, which isn't all that bad it usually means you'll sleep better at night.

And one final thought most of us work so we have to find ways to manage our time as well.

 

Had to edit to add this: When you need some extra help why not ask your parents?

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

I think you should take everyone's advice! You will do just fine! One thing I would like to stress though is, there is NO better feeling in the entire world when you've had a really bad day, and you come home to a dog that is happy to see you! Petting a dog is one of the most effective stress relievers I know of, when I come home and give Daisy her daily belly rub I forget every crappy thing that happened to me that day! It might actually do you some good to keep her around.

Good Luck!

[ljrphoto]

You have gotten a lot of great advice here. I just wanted to tell you about something I did at work that has helped me manage my time really well there... I made an excel spreadsheet of my "model week." So each thing that I am responsible for is allotted a certain amount of time throughout the week. That way I don't get hung up focusing on one task for too long and lose track of everything else that needs my attention. Of course there are some days where a big project does take up too much of my time, but then the next day I get back on schedule and keep it under control. It really helps me to see it all written down on paper and helps me manage the stress of having lots of things that need doing.

[haleigh]

Wow, thanks everyone! I guess it is doable. I'm dropping all training with her, so she'll get the weekly hour of homeschooling on the weekends. That should help clear up scheduling and unneeded stress about living up to my border collie's potential as an agility/flyball/rally/obedience/herding/whatever a stupid person can think of star. I'm starting to make myself a schedule, and the one I barely sketched out is working great.