As midterms approach (or have just ended), it seems like the need for organization and time management is more dire. It's easy to be social and spend time with your friends (unless they're extra dramatic), but when it comes to schoolwork not many people are motivated to do it. From my first few weeks of college, I can't say I have a perfect system, but I still have a system. Which counts for something.
My system of balancing social and academic activities often keeps me up late at night. But because I am up late at night, I get to hang out with my friends during study breaks. I just have to be careful to not let these study breaks turn into vacations and end up staying awake until 3 a.m. It's also helpful to have a set time to do schoolwork. That would be really helpful if I could figure that out. Some days, you want to eat lunch with your friends, but other days you have to write and print out a paper within an hour.
It's basically all a series of decisions and deciding which activities take priority over other. While it's good to be social, make friends, and get outside, there's also a time for homework and school related events. I'm here to get an education, so I can't always hang out when I'd like to. The classes I'm taking are not easy or full of busy work. They are demanding and time consuming. If I don't spend time doing homework, and time studying, I will not do well and my GPA will suffer.
With these thoughts in mind, it is also important to take care of yourself and your surroundings. You have to take time to do laundry and clean your room, and to take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. This might involved meditation, creating a comfortable living space, or getting involved in a craft or other interest. Taking care of yourself physically means knowing what you put into your body and making sure you are doing what you want to with your body. Emotionally speaking, writing a journal when you're upset is extremely helpful for me. Once the upsetting event passes, you'll be fine.
Now, it would be great if I could actually apply all of this "knowledge" about organizational skills to my own life. Most of the time, I struggle to do my laundry until it's the last minute. I struggle to keep my room and desk clean. I struggle to take time for myself away from schoolwork. I struggle to focus on said schoolwork sometimes because I just want to hang out with friends.
All I know is that college is a balancing act. When you have so many different classes, group events, school events, and extracurriculars, along with keeping stable in your personal life and living area, it can become very difficult very quickly to keep it all balanced. The only advice I can give you is to make your own schedule, and do what you know works. If that means forcing yourself to go to the library to study, or forcing yourself to get up earlier to go to the gym, or taking time to relax and watch a movie with friends, each person knows what's right for them. And if you don't know yet, don't worry. You'll find a schedule that works for you, even if it's not the one you first wanted.
