Being college students, it’s a given that at one point or another *cough finals* we are all going to feel stressed and like we need an extra day during the week just to get stuff done. Whether it’s from work or school or an internship or even just things you have to handle at home, sometimes you feel like your head is going to explode. Well here are some ways that can help lighten your load when everything has gotten to be just too much.
Tip 1. Get yourself a planner! I’ve never seen so many people in one place using planners. These babies will not only help to keep you on schedule, but they allow you to plan out when you want to get certain tasks done so that you don’t have to try and remember everything. Planners are also a big help when it comes to time management, if you know that one day during the week you won’t be able to spend time on schoolwork, then schedule it on your planner for a couple of days beforehand. This way your work is already done, and you won’t have to stress about it the day before. Speaking from experience, do not rely on memorization because at one point you will forget something and you will kick yourself for not writing it down. Plus, you can find a planner that matches your personality! Not only are they helpful, but they’re also aesthetically pleasing.
Tip 2. Make yourself a list. I myself have been doing this a lot recently and it is so helpful. If you know you have a billion things to do in one week, then write down a list of things that absolutely have to get done and write them down in order of importance. For example, let’s say you have an important paper due in your 8 am, a big test in your 12:30, and you have a presentation due in two days. On your checklist, put Finish Paper first because you know that it has to be done and turned it the earliest, next put “Study for Test”. You start studying after your paper is done so you have one less thing to do, and if you feel like you should study for your test more; then you can take the time that you have in between classes to go to the library and review. Lastly, put “Work on Presentation” last because you can start working on it after everything else is done and then it is the only thing you have to focus on.
Tip 3. Set Alarms. If you’re like me and you aren’t the greatest at checking your planner or writing down a list, do what our entire generation has to do to wake up for school. Set alarms on your phone and label them to remind yourself of when you have to do certain things. I do this every day and it really helps. The best part is you can set your alarms to go off every day, so you don’t have to constantly reset them.
We can all feel that ball of stress in the pit of our stomach when we know how many things have to get done by the end of the week and in some cases at the end of every day. These tips have helped me immensely, especially with finals coming up. One thing that is the most important to remember is that you just have to do one thing at a time and focus on each task as if it is the only thing you have to do. Also, remember that stress is only temporary and it won’t be that way forever. Use these tips to make your life just a bit more organized and keep in mind, it’s okay to take some time for yourself because let’s face it, adulting is hard.