While in college a student can easily become overwhelmed by a schedule that is busier than he or she is used to. Trying to juggle your studies and social life can quickly become overwhelming and may eventually threaten your grades and your goals for life. This doesn’t help if you are also a major procrastinator. To create a balance between studying and your social life, you must learn and use time management.
Get Organized
Getting and staying organized is a simple and highly effective way of taking control of one's schedule. Habits can be difficult to change, but after you become organized it becomes well worth the time and effort it took. First things first, take notes down of what needs to be done in the order they need to be done. Using a planner is the best way for me but, it might be different for you or someone else. Whichever method you chose, it should be convenient for you. Documenting assignments and events will make it easier to keep track of them, but only if you check it daily.
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Preparing for the next day is another way that students can be more organized. Set out your clothes or prepare for the next day by putting your assignments in your bag are easy and simple. Did your mom ever tell you cleanliness is next to Godliness? Well it’s true, being clean and clutter free makes for a more organized person as well.
Prioritize Tasks
Prioritizing your work will not ensure it gets done faster, but will allow you to get the most important things done first. After the important items have been identified they need to be labeled or arranged in order of urgency. Do it once a week and you will have a much easier week than you would have thought possible.
Set Goals
Clear goals can help improve your focus and allow you to have a light at the end of the tunnel. By setting a goal you have allowed yourself to see something you want to achieve and when. Goals should be specific in that they state exactly what the student plans to achieve. They should be realistic, obtainable and something that your actions can influence. Even if they are tiny goals like, get my term paper edited by tonight or have dinner ready by five can narrow your day down to small easily obtainable sections.
Manage Stress
Stress is a common and natural consequence of an overly busy college schedule. Ideally, the best way to manage it is to avoid overloading one's schedule in the first place. Unfortunately, stress can be unavoidable for some of us. When this is the case, stress management strategies can help make it more tolerable. Stress is hard on one's physical and mental health. For this reason getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet are two key aspects of stress management. Stop eating so much ramen and candy. In addition, exercising will not only help strengthen the body, but it is also a way to release stress. Run or do zumba twice a week. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing can also prove beneficial. During days that are more work than relaxation, taking short breaks can help. During these breaks students may want to take a walk, talk to a friend or simply spend a few minutes alone. Another way that people can manage their stress is by not attempting to do everything on their own. They shouldn't be afraid to reduce their burden by saying no or asking for help when needed. Take things into perspective and realize that there are some things that cannot be changed, while others can. Once you realize this you’ll feel less overwhelmed by those factors that are out of your control and can focus your energies instead on what you can.
Take Mini-Vacations
Every once in awhile you have to take a mini-vacation and leave all of your worries behind. Take that day trip to Dallas or the beach. It could do wonders for your spirit and bring your stress level down. Just make sure you don’t have anything that needs doing before midnight.
