At this time of year, it’s easy to feel like your life is practically falling apart. The workload never ends. Group projects are at a standstill because everyone seems to have already checked out. You have three papers due this week. You have work. You have to buy Christmas presents. On top of all this, you somehow have to remember to take care of yourself: eat, sleep, shower, and relax. Right now you’re probably thinking, uhm HOW?! Well, I’ve picked up a little in my three years and a half years of college, so here is are some tips I’ve learned about what you can do to help yourself.
Get a planner. Nothing will ever get done in a timely manner if you don’t plan. Take time on Sundays to look at all of your assignments for the upcoming week and write them down. But don’t just write the due dates, write down when you plan on working on the assignment. If the assignment is big, split it up into parts, do whatever is manageable for you. Although there are times when an assignment just gets pushed until the night before, making time to at least start it early will get the ball rolling. You’ll have a never-ending amount of stress if every assignment is done at the last minute.
Don’t just plan for homework either – you can utilize the planner to plan downtime, too. It might seem excessive, but when you’re involved and busy, writing everything, down to the nap, may be needed. This way it’s easy to hold yourself accountable for what accomplish in the day. Trust me, it’s not difficult to say “I’ll do this later” and take a nap, but you’ll sleep so much better knowing that you don’t have to wake up early to finish whatever assignment you were avoiding.
Another piece of advice I have is to remember everything that is stressing you out right now is temporary. Remember there is an end to all of this. In two weeks, all of the assignments will be done. You can go home and cuddle with your dog or cat or fish or whoever. Take every assignment and day one at a time, because if you think about it as a whole, you’ll feel overwhelmed and it’ll all seem impossible. Think of every task as a piece of a puzzle, piecing together the rest of your semester. You wouldn’t throw the pieces together at once – it takes time.
Her Campus Carthage’s Giveaway today is titled “Piece Your Life Back Together” and includes everything you’ll need to feel more put together as you finish out the rest of the semester!