This year I live in an apartment styled dorm. I live with three other girls, two of whom are my best friends. I am also taking eight classes which is 18 credit hours. Over the summer I was offered a position at our school's bookstore which I happily accepted. I am also a member of our cheer team and an executive board member of MaryTHON, our school's dance marathon. I have homework every night, 6 am practices, and friends I want to hangout with. I also need my alone time, every single day. I can't handle being around people 24/7. People tire me out and I need time to rejuvenate. This all sounds overwhelming. Luckily, I've found ways to manage my time so I don't wear myself out or spread myself too thin.
All my classes are back to back. I have at most a half hour break in between so by the time I'm done with class, I am exhausted. On the days I don't have work, I go to my room and take a quick, 20 minute, power nap. I put my phone on do not disturb so I won't be bombarded with texts from group chats that just have to blow up when I am trying to rest. Even if I don't manage to fall asleep, these 20 minutes of peace and quiet do wonders for me. By the time my alarm goes off I am ready to handle what ever the evening has in store for me. On the days I do have work I beg my friends to bring me coffee so I have energy to make it through the day and then I lie down after I get home.
I do my homework whenever I can, but majority of the time I do my homework in a study room with my friends. This allows for me to catch up with all my friends while being productive at the same time. Even if all of us are focused and quiet, I enjoy simply being around them while I work on my homework. Most of the time we'll make dinner in my dorm room before we start our homework which allows for more time to bond with them.
Sometimes though, my friends are too much and I just need to be alone. It is nothing against them. I just like being alone. The hard part is that I also love being with them. To get the best of both worlds, I go into my room and lie down while they're all in our living room. I can hear the conversations and take part in them if I want to but I can still enjoy the quietness that my room has to offer me.
What I've learned so far in this semester is that it's okay to turn things down. If I'm exhausted, I don't have stay up late. I can close my bedroom door and go to bed at 9 pm if I want to while my friends are all in the living room. Nowadays, with social media, we constantly fear that we're missing out on things. You're probably not though. If it was important or fun, you would be there. You chose not to go for a reason so don't stress yourself out worrying about what is happening. Take the time for yourself to rewind and relax. College is stressful enough without having to worry about what everyone else is doing. Find your own ways to relax and let me know. I am always looking for a new way to relieve my stress!
