This semester has taken a surprising turn in the sense that I'm actually managing to be caught up on my college work and my general life at the same time. It's a nice change of pace because I tend to worry about losing track of both. One of my biggest pieces of advice for my fellow college/life balancers is to be organized before your semester starts. This takes a giant weight off your shoulders because everything is written down, so it's that much less to think about. If you forget a date, no worries. It's written.

Anyway, it seems that this odd worry of not balancing everything helps me to really stay on track. I lose my mind when I have to lose my weekends. I work from Monday to Friday, and my weekends are to relax. It feels well earned at the end of every week. Two days to just relax. No schoolwork, no stress. I love my weekends because it gives me some time to dig through my record collection, organize, and get some art done too. This all balances out perfectly, because it's everything I don't have the same amount of time for during the week, so I save it for the weekends instead.

As I'm writing this article, I'm looking at my agenda book with all my deadlines and a few post-it notes with my little to-do lists. I have all my tasks finished and I'm free to relax as I see fit. It's just very empowering. That's my point in writing all this today.
I have another tip for managing college and life too. Listen to music when you're working. This way, you have something to keep you moving and motivated during the week. Music is its own form of therapy. If you want a stress relieving activity, try listening to your favorite music and chewing gum at the same time. It's a good way to de-stress before classes. It just helps to clear your mind. Trident and some good tunes.

So, this was a mix of advice and personal experience, but my main idea here was to give a little insight into what it's like balancing college and regular life at the same time. It's not easy, but you have to find the system that works best for you. Now is an important time, so don't panic. Get organized and excel. I send you all my best wishes that it all turns out okay. Eternal optimism is key to a successful college career. Don't let the little things get to you. Use your brain power for what's worth it. All the best...CC