This week, I began my formal training to be a Resident Assistant in EMU's dorms. If you had seen me at the beginning of the week, you'd have seen a frazzled, overwhelmed girl whose mind is being blown by the amount of work that lies ahead of her this next year.
However, I'm happy to report that I am no longer as frazzled, or overwhelmed, and that's mostly due to a much-needed session on time management.
If you're one of those people who have their life organized already, that's great!
If you're like me, you're probably terrified at the mere concept of organization, let alone buying a planner to organize their life. Hang in there, though.
Those who work in Housing and Res Life seem to have the busiest lives, but they also usually have their lives organized. How else would someone manage a full class load, a job in the residence halls, maybe an outside job and have time for a social life?
Just from watching my coworkers, and from my training, I picked up a few tips that will help me stay sane this year, and I feel that anyone, RA or not, can benefit from them.
1. Do what you need to do to plan ahead.
Before you start thinking, "That's super unhelpful," let me explain.
Different people have different organizational needs and wants. For instance, one of my co-RAs uses a bullet journal instead of a regular planner. I personally find it best to sit down and use an Excel spreadsheet to plot everything out for the semester. It really is all up to you as to how you go about it.
Do you want a more flexible approach? Maybe a regular planner is up your alley, where you can cross things out and reschedule at a moment's notice. More attached to technology than paper? Try Google Calendars. Take a moment to assess your needs, and figure out what way will help you stick to a schedule and stay sane.
2. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize!
Much of time management is based on your priorities, as it should. However, your priorities today may differ from your priorities when classes start again.
During a session, RAs were instructed to plan out their schedule based on what they considered their highest priorities and then go from there. For instance, on my schedule, the first things I factor in are my classes, because I'm at college to learn. After that, my RA duties were factored in, and so on, until I couldn't think of what else I wanted or needed on my schedule.
You may prioritize your social life fairly highly, so you write in a guaranteed time on your calendar for your friends. You may be trying to earn more money, so you find time in your schedule that will allow you to work and get all of your homework done. It's your priorities, and that's what matters.
3. Don't forget to take time for yourself!
I wrote about it before, and I'll write about it again. Self care is so important, and it deserves a place on your schedule! How you do it is up to you, of course. Some people find it best to take one whole day from the week to focus on themselves, while others need two hours every day. Just be sure that you remember that you deserve to treat yourself kindly, even if the upcoming semester doesn't.
Behind each of these tips, I feel that there is one reoccurring theme: know yourself. It's not specific to time management, but it is specific to life, no matter what your age or situation. As long as you know yourself, and keep yourself happy, I believe that you can conquer the busiest schedule ever this semester.
