College is a time where you want to focus on academics, hang with friends, become involved on campus, think about your future and still have time for yourself. With responsibilities piling up at times, it can be difficult to figure out how to satisfy each one to the best of your ability without being overloaded with stress. Here are some tips that I have picked up while being in college so far that help me to complete everything I have to do each week while staying sane.
Keep a planner
This may seem obvious, but having a planner in some form, whether it be digital or on paper, can help you to lay out everything you need to do each week and throughout the month.
Prioritize tasks
Once you have everything written out in your planner, pick the tasks that are the most urgent for each day to try and accomplish. By having a few tasks to finish you will be less overwhelmed day-to-day and any other things you get done will be extra to the other things you have already finished.
Block out your time
Planning out what you will be doing at certain times each day can help you figure out when you will be able to work on each task. Writing out the times you have class, club meetings, when you want to work out, need to study, even a specific break time can make each day more manageable and will help you consistently stay on task.
Don’t multitask with too many tasks
Multitasking always seems like a good idea in the moment, a way to get more done in a shorter period of time. Oftentimes this can be counterproductive and when you try to do too many things at once you lose sight of the goal for each task and end up not having the right mindset or motivation for either.
Take time for yourself
Though at times it can seem like there is no place for down time, you can’t go on without taking a break for too long before you burn out. Even if it’s only for an hour, it can be beneficial to take time for yourself to recharge and reevaluate how you feel along with what your goals are.
Don’t overwhelm yourself
College is a short four years and it is important to take advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to you, but it is important to balance out all aspects of your life that you want to accentuate while in school.
Though at times it may feel like you’re moving a mile-a-minute with no room for a break, time keeps passing and the things stressing you out will come and go. Taking some time for yourself amidst all the responsibilities that seem to pile up throughout the week can help you keep calm and plan out how you want to conquer each task on your to-do list.