“They say these are the golden years.” Yes, these are iconic lyrics from Olivia Rodrigo’s “brutal.” Unfortunately, they can also feel a little too relatable in college. Between classes, internships, extracurriculars, and trying to maintain some kind of social life, it can feel impossible to keep up with everything and survive college, let alone actually enjoy the four years everyone tells you are supposed to be the best of your life.
So, how do you balance it all without completely losing your mind?
The first step is realizing you probably won’t. As I start my senior year of college, I’ve learned that no planner, productivity app, or 11:11 wish is going to make every part of your life perfectly balanced all the time. And honestly, that’s okay. The sooner you stop chasing perfect balance and start learning how to roll with whatever life throws at you, the easier everything starts to feel.
That said, we can still get pretty close. So, from one busy college girl to another, here are four tips to make it all feel a little more manageable.
- Organization is Key
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One thing that has saved me more times than I can count is staying organized. And for me, that means Google Calendar. I wish I could say I was the type of person with a perfectly color-coded paper planner and cute handwriting, but I’m not. My handwriting is terrible, and if I write something down on a random piece of paper, there’s a very good chance I will never look at it again out of pure disgust.
Google Calendar has basically become my best friend because everything is in one place. I put in my classes, study time, meetings, deadlines, and even plans with friends so I can actually see what my week looks like before I start agreeing to 500 different things. It sounds simple, but knowing exactly what you have coming up makes everything feel a lot less overwhelming.
- Mixing Productivity & Social Time
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Another thing I’ve learned is to make every hour a social hour. No, I don’t mean to ignore your homework and talk through your entire study session. I mean find people you can be productive with. Studying alone is great sometimes, but locking yourself in a study room for hours on end can start to make you feel a little crazy.
Grab a friend, meet at the library, quiz each other, work quietly next to each other, or take little breaks to catch up. You’re still getting your work done, but you’re also making the day feel less isolating.
College is already busy enough, so whenever you can combine productivity with spending time alongside the people you love, take advantage of it!
- Having Fictional Role Models
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Something else that helps me stay motivated is giving myself a goal and then finding a character who has that same energy. It sounds a little silly, but hear me out. If you want to become a journalist, maybe you channel Rory Gilmore. If you want to be more confident, maybe you borrow a little Elle Woods energy.
Having someone fictional to look to can make your goals feel more fun and a little more real. Obviously, you’re not trying to become that character exactly, but sometimes asking yourself, “What would she do right now?” is enough to get you out of bed, open your laptop, and keep going.
- Remembering It’s an Act of Love
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That leads me to my last piece of advice: do what you love. College gives you so many opportunities to join clubs, take on leadership roles, apply for internships, and try things you may never get the chance to do again. But just because an opportunity is there doesn’t mean you have to take it. Fill your time with the things that genuinely excite you, not the things you think will make you look the busiest or most impressive.
When you care about what you are doing, a packed schedule starts to feel a lot less like a chore and a lot more like a life you’re excited to be living.
At the end of the day, balance in college is never going to look perfect. Some weeks will be organized, productive, and exciting, and others will feel completely chaotic. The goal isn’t to have everything figured out. It’s to build a life you enjoy living while giving yourself enough grace to figure the rest out along the way. After all, if these really are the golden years, we might as well enjoy them.
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