From our Google Calendars, to our Notes app overflowing with To-Do lists, to the infinite reminders we set, planning encompasses much of our daily life. We are all probably most familiar with academic planning. Much of my free time revolves around spotting an hour break in between classes or a small snippet of time I allow myself to relax and put aside my homework. The truth is, planning is both artful and consuming. If you’re stressed about planning, then you are in the right place! Here’s how to find the perfect balance for planning and still leave space for the thrill of uncertainty.
What I’ve realized is, from a young age academic planning is embedded in us. Growing up, my elementary school would give us planners each year to plan our homework. As time has gone on, the function for my planners has only expanded, becoming a way to track self care time, free time, and available allotted time for things as necessary as sleep—all on top of homework. College has only escalated the ever-expanding task lists of each day, inflating academic planning. The common issue with extensive planning is the limited amount of flexibility it provides, leading to hyperfocusedness on only the plan, which creates almost tunnel vision. This often makes us feel pressured to complete all the tasks we have jam-packed into one day, that can more realistically be spread across a few days. So, maybe the homework can actually wait? My solution is simple: treat planners as a guide, not a lifestyle.
My guide to planning has three steps: be flexible, take that break, and prioritize both your mental and social needs. Let’s face it, none of us are walking robots and sometimes it is nearly impossible to get everything done we have set out to do. Being less rigid is important; I personally do not want to work for my planning, but I want my planning to work for me and my needs. I found this mindset shift to be the most challenging. How can I get everything done while still focusing on my needs? Well, map out exactly what your needs are to maintain your healthy well-being. Whether it’s time needed for meditation, naps, hobbies, movie-watching, runs, or whatever other important ritual you have that keeps you grounded. Place those things in your planner first, and, if possible, I suggest working your tasks around them. Then, for certain, you’ll know that you have a designated break time where you can take care of yourself, not just your assignments.
You may read this and think that creating free time is difficult in college. Being a freshman, I found that out very quickly, but even taking a small break like calling a friend or getting fresh air can be helpful. Hence, take that break! The idea of flexibility is something that reflects itself into the other steps. Social and mental needs can change for a given day, a given week, or any given period of time. The “work to get done today” list that you compiled last weekend may just feel impossible to do this week, and that is okay. It is ironic that I find myself saying this, as I once used to consume myself in daily assignment planning, but now take it day-by-day. It sounds cliché but you don’t truly know what awaits you until you are on that exact day, and sometimes the to-do list will honestly and wholeheartedly go to shambles. Finally, plan for YOU, not based on what others on TikTok are doing in their unrealistic 9-5 of a schoolwork day. Utilize to-do lists not as something you are chained to, but instead something that prioritizes both what you have to get done and things of your interest that you would like to do.
I know that I am no school planning expert and have developed these suggestions based on my own experience, however, I know how easy it is to fall into planning every day according to assignments. Remember, the truth is, both our mental and social environments are constantly changing, and sometimes we do need to treat ourselves and take that rest day. As the school year commences, remember to look after yourselves just as much as you look at Google Calendar!