If you’re anything like me, you might’ve signed yourself up for one too many responsibilities last spring, and now it’s autumn and you’re panicking. Whether you are trying to elongate your resume, or you never learned how to say “no”, or you simply enjoy being busy–the act of overextending yourself can be very common and scary for college students. No matter the reason for your endless to-do list, here are some tips on how to survive your jam-packed schedule.
Day-Planners will save your life.
I’m sure it’s been drilled into your brain since the first day of college that having a planner is important, but seriously, it is so necessary. You need one that actually works for you, too. For me personally, one that has enough space to plan my day hourly is the most efficient. Find an organizing tool that makes the most sense for you and your schedule.
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Pencil in time for self care.
Self care can oftentimes be an overlooked topic since it is brought up so much, but don’t forget it’s importance to your well-being. Allow yourself to relax and set aside your responsibilities for an hour or two; you don’t need to respond to every email ASAP. You can give yourself time to breathe! Sometimes I notice that I am isolating myself from friends and family when I’m feeling particularly swamped with deadlines and emails, so be cognizant of that, as your social calendar should be a part of your self care regimen!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
This step can be particularly hard when you enjoy working and being in charge. However, it will come in handy when you have piled too much on your plate. Your peers, co-workers, teammates, etcetera want to make you feel supported and are there to help! Explain your situation to someone who may have more experience than you and they should be able to give some advice or even offer to take on some of your workload. Even if they can’t help, it never hurts to ask and be honest about your feelings towards the work you’re doing.
You got this–just remember that the experience you are getting now will help you down the line, and all of your hard work will pay off!