College is hard enough as it is. But to have a job? To have a social life? To have time for relaxation? That's a real skill that not a lot of people have. This is a time-capsule letter to myself, as well as the rest of you, that have to balance everything and be a full time student!
This is my junior year at Bridgewater College and I know for a fact that it'll be hard. I'm enrolled as a full time student with 15 credits (five classes); I have a work study position as a Switchboard Operator; I work at Dairy Queen; I have a position in admissions as a tele-counselor; I have this internship with Odyssey; I am the Events Coordinator for the Black Student Association; and I am an orientation leader. So much on my plate!! And I know that there are some of you with more classes and less jobs or even a good amount of classes and a good amount of clubs and organizations. And God bless you ladies and gents that play a sport! Either way, life as a college student is no cake walk. We all need time to study, we need time to catch our breaths, we need time to talk to our friends, we need time for SLEEP!
*When I refer to "you," I'm referring to myself as well as you guys. Hence the "time-capsule" theme.*
First thing's first, you can't have a lot on your plate and have a lazy spirit. There's moves to be made! You have to always motivate yourself that you may be tired, but it will all pay off in the end. Get your butt up!! The last thing you want to happen is for you to miss something and regret it because you were too lazy at the time. Personally, I love lying around. Come on, Kayla. No lazy spirits.
Write everything down! Work schedule, sleep schedule, class schedule, everything! It's always good to write things down because we're human. We forget things. It happens. But it'll happen less if it's written down somewhere for you to see often. And don't let the amount of items on your to-do list scare you! There will be days when things change and your plan doesn't go exactly how you wanted, but don't worry. Rewrite your schedule from the moment that things changed until the time that you go to sleep.
Prioritize. As a college student, you must eat. You must get a good amount of sleep. You must STUDY. Throughout the sports games, classes, club meetings, and work, you have to realize what you're really there for. Clubs and organizations are fun, but you're in college to get a degree. This is something that is close to my heart because I love my clubs! And there were times in the past where I put it first and my academics second. This club will not give you a degree! Sitting in your friend's room for 4 hours won't get you that degree, either! Prioritize. While you're making that list I talked about before, allot more time to studying and/or office hours and/or reviewing your notes so you understand what the heck is going on around you.
Find the best way to do each thing in your life. When I'm in my classes, I noticed that I pay more attention when I sit in the middle front of the classroom. I also notice that I can't get homework assignments and reading assignments done with music on, but when I'm writing papers, music is the only way I can finish. Experiment with your surroundings, and form habits to make your busy plate more enjoyable.
It's normal to be overwhelmed, I promise! Just breathe. It'll all pay off and when you guys excel in school and in your futures, I accept my payments in Forever 21 clothing, Chipotle, or straight-up cash.. Just kidding! But seriously, nothing worth having comes easy. Let that sink in. We can do it.
