The new year has started, and, as you can tell from all the signs up inside FitRec, a new year means a “new you!” Last semester, I found that the reason I became the most stressed during midterms and finals was because I had taken on too many responsibilities. While extracurriculars are great for the resume and can add meaning to one’s everyday routine, they can get in the way of vital study time if they are not managed properly. Time needs to be organized in the same way that china in a cabinet might need to be organized: in a certain order with everything in its place so that nothing falls and hurts you.
Here are a few tips to stay organized:
1. Say “no!”
Learning to prioritize is key, and making too many time commitments can make it harder to keep your schedule doable. Decline some opportunities, but keep time for your passions. When you go to those club meetings, jobs, internships, labs, and office hours, make sure that you complete your most important tasks first.
2. Get a good night’s sleep
Sleeping eight hours a night may seem difficult for the typical college student, however, a good night’s sleep is vital to your health and keeping stress levels down. Look at your schedule, keep an eye out for early morning classes, and make a conscious effort to be in bed with the lights off and your phone out of reach by a certain time every night. Soon, this should become so routine to you that your friends will be jealous that you look so well-rested!
3. Get up early
Now that you know how to keep yourself in bed for at least eight hours a night, it may feel easier to wake up in the morning. If you wake up a few minutes before class, you may feel that you have lost your entire morning by the time class is over. Wake up an hour before you would usually get out of bed, and see what sort of productive work you can get done in the AM.
4. Be aware of how you spend your time
Did you know that, according to the National Library of Medicine, kids tend to have “screen time” for five to seven hours a day? Most of that time is considered “unhealthy” screen time, rather than productive screen time, as those hours are spent surfing the internet or on Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Keep your time useful, and use your screen time as simply buffers between completing tasks for school or as rewards at the end of the day.
5. Leave time for yourself
If you delineate a time limit to complete a task, you will eventually find yourself with some extra time for “me time”. Use this time wisely.
6. Exercise and keep a healthy diet
An example of what you can do during your “me time” is going to the gym, watching a movie with friends, cooking healthy meals with your roommates, or just taking a nap. Many studies have been able to link a healthy lifestyle with work productivity; once you get enough sleep and complete your work, you can have time for the gym and healthy eating, giving you fantastic energy levels to help you with your focus and completion of work once again. It’s a great cycle, and it all starts with this new year and the new you!