If you have ever seen the “Choose Two” meme below...

Guess what? You’ve been misled.

There is a way to have a healthy serving of all three S’s in college — school, sleep, social life — and I am going to tell you how.

1. School

This is the first thing on the list because it is the whole reason we are at college. Those deadlines cannot be changed, and most professors have their entire schedule on the syllabus. My tip for you: as soon as you get your syllabus, fill in all the important assignments, test, deadlines, etc. in your calendar.

Pro Tip: color code for each class. If you do not have a planner or calendar, use Google Calendar. You can set alarms and notifications on your laptop and other mobile devices, and it is kind of a lifesaver.

Have a relationship with your professors and advisors. If you are having a problem, email them, or visit their office hours. That is literally what they are paid for. If that still does not help, reach out to friends who are good in that class, or other tutoring programs offered around campus.

Let’s face it, you are going to procrastinate. I am obligated to tell you to not procrastinate, but we are all adults here. If you have procrastinated to the point of utter doom, pulling an all-nighter is not the answer. I will explain that a little more in the next S. Instead, study as much as you can, and find time between your classes to finish up work. Go to a library, a quiet corner, or study space to make sure your distractions are limited.

Pro Tip: Turn your phone on “Do Not Disturb.” I know our generation thinks our lives revolve around a rectangle, but it really does not, and your virtual reality will still exist in two hours. If you did not procrastinate, congratulations! You are one of the very few students, who have limited their stress down by over 50%. Keep up the good work.

2. Sleep

Scientist says 8 hours of sleep is needed to completely recover, and process the previous day. I believe that all bodies recover differently, and some students can survive off of 3 hours a night, while other students require no less than 10 hours. Yes, naps are a college students’ way of survival but do not rely on them.

No matter what people tell you, all-nighters are not required to maintain good grades and social lives. If anything, all-nighters are more likely to destroy your academics, which will make you fail out of college, and you will no longer be on the same campus as all your friends. Your body will not retain information, or be able to comprehend social skills if you are a walking zombie. Do not become a college zombie.

Pro Tip: have a weekly sleep routine and stick to it. This does not mean go to bed at 8 pm, then wake up at 7 a.m. I am talking about walking up and hour or hour & a half before your Monday-Friday classes.

Snooze. Everyone’s best friend, and worst enemy. Everytime you hit snooze, you are actually making it harder for yourself to get up. Why would you do that to yourself?

Pro Tip: if you HAVE to have multiple alarms, set yourself two. Only two alarms. You can choose the distance between them, but only two. After that second alarm goes off, get up.

Find a morning routine. Every morning do something that makes you happy. Hot shower, drink a cup of coffee or two…. Or three, jam out to Drake, meditate. Whatever it is, start your day off happy and right. I know it is not as easy as it sounds, but in the long run, it works. I pinky promise.

In between classes is a great time for a power snooze, if you have the time and you are in the right place. If you do not have the time, or you’re in the wrong place, pick another S to do. Study, be social, or if no one is around and you have no assignments due (lol that’s rare) then watch your favorite show on Netflix.

3. Social

Pro Tip: Get involved with at least 2-3 organizations (Greek counts). Get involved in something you enjoy, something towards your major, and then get involved in something new.

Going out is fun and all, but doing it every night is overkill. Learn when to go out, and when to not go out. For example: Have a big test tomorrow? Don’t go out. Just aced a test? Go out. On antibiotics, or sick? Don’t go out. Healthy and thriving? Go out. Weekend? Go out. Going to parties is the biggest thing that tips everyone out of balance. They either go out too much and their grades and sleep suffer, or they don’t go out at all and have a miserable college experience.

Disclaimer: I am NOT telling you that you have to drink and party in college to enjoy it. By going out, I mean hanging out with friends, going dancing or to a club, go to town, etc. Everyone has their version of fun. Don’t have too much fun to where you have no idea where your life is heading, but loosen up every once in a while. It’s college.

I want to end on this quote that one of my professors told me in my first semester:

“College is the last time you are allowed to be selfish. Once you graduate, you have to begin to take care of other people, a job, a mortgage, most likely student loans. Use these four year to find your true self, and remember that it’s okay to be selfish every once in a while.”

Find your balance of the three college S’s. Each person is different, and so is each semester. So Study, Sleep, and be Social. It’s college.

Thrive on,

Lily