I have always been a busy gal: being involved in sports, the arts, and having a busy social life is my normal. But, because of how I manage my time, burnout is almost never a problem. Between taking four classes, working at the CU Rec Center, and focusing on my self improvement, my days seem endless. Read ahead to see how I organize my weeks and you too might be able to hop on the productivity train.
Monday
I groggily spent my morning sipping coffee and was out the door by 9:45. First stop was my Native and Indigenous Religious Studies class. From 11-12, I did homework in the library. Afterward, I had my Major Works Spanish class where we spent the period analyzing “La Celestina”. Then I went home for lunch, continued my homework, and then headed back to campus for my other Spanish class. After Spanish, I substituted a strength endurance class at the gym. At 6 pm I showered, ate, and watched a movie. I was very productive today because I kept a full schedule, but never worked on one task for more than an hour at a time.
Tuesday
On Tuesdays, I only have one class, so I slept in and did homework before heading to my psychology lecture. After class, I made cookies because I was craving something sweet and continued my assignments. Then I met with a client at the gym and taught my group core class. At home, I procrastinated by socializing with my roommates but after showering and putting on comfortable clothes, I sat down to do some reading. Once I finished my homework, I climbed into bed and fell fast asleep. A huge aspect of organizing your time is letting yourself have breaks and rest days where you do at least one thing, other than sitting on your phone, that makes you happy, like baking cookies.
Wednesday
My first class was held remotely this morning, so I had plenty of time to get dressed, clean my kitchen, and create my daily to-do list. I headed to campus around noon for my three other classes, but had a headache all day, so once I got home, curled up in a blanket and scrolled through my phone. After about an hour of unwinding, I motivated myself to go to the gym. When I got home from a long and well-needed workout, I ate a ginormous burrito before showering and finishing my Spanish reading. While I went to all my classes, got my homework done, and worked out, since I ate poorly, I had low energy and motivation all day and completing my daily tasks was difficult. In order to have a fully successful day you need to make sure to fuel your body.
Thursday
This morning I finished my Spanish reading, attended my psychology lecture, and applied to be an A&S Student Ambassador. At 2 pm I met with my client at the rec center again for an hour-long workout session. Afterwards, I went to my psychology lab and worked on my research paper. Then I went to HomeGoods to buy my roommate a birthday present and spent a good half hour sniffing candles. When I got home I talked to my dad on the phone for about an hour. Then I went to the gym, ate dinner, and played a game with my roommates. A helpful approach to being productive is getting as much work done in the morning as possible so you can use your evenings to socialize and rest.
Friday
I woke up this morning and called my mom to get help on filing my 2021 taxes. Then, I walked to campus for my two Spanish classes and a personal trainer meeting at the gym. In between classes, I continued to work on my taxes in the library. After my final class of the day, I went home and took a nap before heading out to my friends house. I try to complete most of my homework on Fridays so I don’t have to do as much over the weekend.
Saturday
I slept in pretty late this morning, cleaned my room, and did some homework before heading to the gym. After a long workout I came home, showered, and made myself a charcuterie board. Because I knew that in the evening I would be attending my roommate’s birthday party, I really pounded out some work during the day. I try to workout and do homework during the morning on weekends because then I can spend the evenings with my friends.
Sunday
Today was a super chill day for me and I spent my morning watching “Dance Moms”, cleaning, and talking to my roommates. In the afternoon I took a nap and made myself a huge dinner. Then I did some homework and organized myself for the upcoming week. In the evening I watched “Euphoria” and went to bed pretty early. When I don’t have a lot of homework to do, I try to still be productive by meal-prepping, cleaning, and doing self care so I can prepare for being academically busy in the future.
Being productive is no easy task. It is so simple to get distracted by your phone, tempted by a nap, or fall into a cycle of procrastination. I try to manage my time by chopping my tasks into hour-long periods so I’m less likely to get bored with my assignments. I also make sure to eat healthy, workout, and sleep enough so I can physically and mentally focus. Also, I like to keep my room, desk, and living areas clean because organization and tidiness is a stress reliever for me. Obviously these methods may not be as successful for all people: I like being busy, am a morning person, and am very goal-driven. This being said, I encourage you to try to organize your time like I do, even for a day, to see how it works for you.