How long does it take for everything in your life to pile up on your shoulders? Not long at all, am I right? College students are faced with stress on a nearly daily basis. There are times when you may have five assignments due on the same day, a part-time job to manage later that night, and no free time to weave in between. The secret to living stress free lies in the balancing act.
Oftentimes, balancing all of the important aspects of your life can be like walking a tightrope; if you tilt too much to one side, you fall fast and hard. In terms of assignments, there are two ways to look at how to manage your time. You can start with your easiest assignments to get them out of the way quickly, or you can begin by working on your lengthier, time-consuming projects. Either way will work, but only if you give yourself breaks in between.
For many students, the time crunch keeps a tight grip on the pencil in their grasp, keeping it from slowing. The problem with not fighting this force is the increased likelihood of mistakes. The desire to accomplish all of your assignments and be done with it will not necessarily equate to a higher grade in the end. For this reason, focus on goal-setting to limit your stress and shake off the hands of the time crunch.
For example, whether you are studying or writing a paper, limit your goal to read or write a certain number of pages. Split up your assignments if they are larger so that you are not stuck with a large assignment due the next day, but rather one more page or paragraph left to complete. Sometimes it helps to bribe yourself a little as well. A smart trick, if you really devote yourself to following it, is to take a strip of paper and write a break time or snack earned to help motivate you to achieve your goal. Treat the strips of paper like book marks, showing you how far you’ve gone. What is great about this is, not only does it alleviate a great deal of stress, but it helps you to feel even more accomplished and in high spirit of completing your goal.
When it comes to a part-time or on-campus job, breaks are everything! Use your break time to go over notes or write quick ideas to use when writing papers so you will be better prepared for the big hunk of the work to come. For some jobs, managers or employers may even let you work on school assignments during slow periods; it never hurts to ask if he or she would mind you making use of such time. Many employers are very understanding of what college students have to go through, so speak up if you are feeling stressed!
All of this being said, keep the tightrope in mind. If you feel like you are tilting too much to one side or the other, have a safety net ready. Talk to your professor or manager and explain your feeling of being overwhelmed. Perhaps shifts can be switched or given away for more down time to do your work. Maybe an extension can be given for a difficult or lengthy assignment or help can be arranged. Do not drown in stress! Take control and feel on top of everything by performing the best possible balancing act you possibly can.