I thought that I was organized and confident in my time management…until college happened. Managing a full load of classes, for some, full-time jobs, and the ins and outs of life, in general, can feel hectic. Here are just a few reasons that I think all of us college students relate to regarding a full load of college courses. Keep the faith. Summer is almost here!

Lack of sleep.

That saying where you hear that you have to pick between having good grades, a social life, or enough sleep could not prove to be more accurate in college. I do not know how I was alive before I drank coffee.

Budgeting.

Learning to budget your money in college has been the biggest thing that I feel has prepared me for the real world. Of course, budgeting can be trial and error and a method may work for me but not for someone else. However, I think being exposed to this skill in college when Ramen Noodles can last you weeks is essential knowing we will soon enter a world of bills, bills, and more bills.

Work on the weekends.

Working on the weekends while beginning your career is normal. Well, so is doing schoolwork on the weekends in college. Having two extra days to cram for that exam on Monday or Tuesday can be the difference in a letter grade. I never thought that I would get most of my schoolwork done on the weekends while I was in high school…and then college happened.

Working “overtime.”

These are known as “all nighters” in college. At some point during your job or career you have worked over time. Although this can be avoided in college but prioritizing, sometimes you find yourself staying up until the wee hours of the morning to prepare for your dreaded final the next day.

Paying attention.

You may act like you’re paying attention during that boring monthly meeting, just like I sometimes pretend to write a ton of notes during a lecture when really I am just texting my best friend about everything that is going on in my life. The correlation is real.

Computer games.

You may have to hide that game of Solitaire from your boss, just like college students sometimes have to close out Facebook in class when note taking just isn’t happening. Regardless, the phrase “the more things change the more they stay the same” is so true.

Fake it until you make it.

Some days feel like you will never see the light at the end of the tunnel. Some days at work drag by, and you don’t know if you will ever see the weekend. Just like sometimes you sit down to study for that test and you don’t even know what you don’t know. Regardless, sometimes you have to just fake it until you make it. Remember that you will make it! College and full-time careers share many similarities. However, this experience has prepared us more for the real world than we realize. If we can juggle some of the ups and downs that come with college, the real word and its problems don’t stand a chance.