College is the time where we learn to juggle school, work and a social life. With that being said, we don’t always do so successfully. Sometimes we start missing deadlines, or other times we go a week or two without seeing our friends and we suddenly start to feel anti-social. But more often than not, life seems to be juggling us rather than the other way around. When did that happen? I completely know the feeling. I mean with being a full-time student, having two jobs, being the treasurer and team player of the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team, and attempting to have a social life with my friends, it gets tough to handle. But, I think I have found the formula to success and you're in on the secret.
Step 1: Write everything down!
Our school, USF, gives out free agenda books courtesy of Student Government. Thank them and make use of this luxury! I recommend writing things down in an agenda and not on a whiteboard because it’s more permanent this way and you can take it with you wherever you need it. I started writing everything in my agenda book ranging from homework due dates and exam dates, to my work schedules, and also my sport tournaments. This way, all of my events are organized and I can just open it up and see what times I am free and what times I am not, what is due, and how long I have to do it. Write things down in your agenda, even if it is months in advance because that way you’ll have a reminder for it. Call it old-fashioned, but it's effective.
Step 2: Don’t overbook yourself. It's okay to say ‘no’.
My freshman year, I don’t think the word ‘no’ was used often. What I mean by that is, I wanted to be part of all the festivities even if that meant staying up until 3 a.m. on a Tuesday night when I had class the next day at 9 a.m. Any time a friend asked to hangout after work, I would always agree even if I was exhausted and behind on my homework. Guess what? People will understand if you have other things to do. We are all busy people and sometimes we have to make sacrifices. That’s life. It’s okay to pass on the party your friends are going to because guaranteed there will be another one next weekend. It's college; there are parties literally every weekend.
Step 3: Get a lot of sleep.
Sleep is not for the weak; it is for the motivated and energized! Sleeping eight hours a night may be hard to accomplish in college but it is very important to get as close to that amount as possible. Sleeping that many hours at night will allow you to wake up feeling ready to conquer the day and will prevent sluggish and lazy behavior (as tempting as it always is). Instead of going back to your dorm in between classes to take a little snooze, you’ll feel up for hitting the library to get ahead on your essay that’s due Sunday night. When I get all of my homework done during the day, then I don’t have to worry about it when I go to ultimate practice. Win-win.
Step 4: Treat yo'self.
It's crucial that you give yourself some time off from all of the hustle and bustle. If you don’t, you will burn out. It has happened to me a few times, and it is hard to get yourself motivated again when this does happen. But if you give yourself one day a week to relax and catch up on homework and sleep, this is much less likely to happen. Of course you probably won’t be able to have a rest day for yourself every week, but making sure it happens often is the key. I schedule my classes to just two days a week. That way I can work three to four days a week and still have a day off even with having two jobs. Take advantage of being able to create your own schedule in college.
The results for me? Straight A's and a promotion at my job. I didn't feel as stressed from lack of time. Time management isn't a myth, so carpe diem.
