It’s week five and the semester is finally kicking. Exams are a thing, tailgates are stealing the weekend and sleep is a mythical concept. It happens every year. We know the stress is coming, yet year after year we struggle to get our lives in order at the beginning of the semester.
We go to college to learn, but there is more to these four years than that. College gives people a chance to discover who they are outside of the classroom. This can include hanging out with friends, joining clubs and trying new things. It can be hard to find a way to balance all of these aspects of life while still succeeding in class. Here is a list of ways to make the balancing act just that much easier:
-
Set boundaries for yourself. Setting boundaries is a great way to ensure you devote an appropriate amount of time to each aspect of your life. Some examples can be to tell yourself you will not go to dinner with friends until you have finished your paper. On the other side of this, give yourself Fridays off. While finishing your homework is important, giving yourself time to de-stress is just as crucial to success.
-
Pay attention to your health. This does not mean running 10 miles every morning or only eating chicken and broccoli until you graduate. This means taking the time to give your body what it needs. Food is fuel to keep your body going throughout the day. Giving your body the correct type of fuel is what will help to keep your mind sharp and your body strong. Similarly, working out relieves stress on your body and in your mind. It also helps to deal with sleep. To quote Elle Woods:
Stills of Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde”/Pinterest.com
-
Don’t forget about your passions. The hope when we go to college is that we discover what we love and turn it into a career. But not every hobby can be a successful career. This is where clubs come into play. Clubs create the opportunity for students to continue to do what they love. Use this to your advantage. If you’re afraid to take time away from studying, understand that clubs can also help you once you’re out of college. They can teach interpersonal skills to help with interviews and the people you meet in clubs can be great for networking in the future.
-
Have a plan. We have started to make fun of those girls who write every little thing in their planner, but they might be onto something. Write a to-do list or a schedule beyond just your classes. Seeing everything laid out over the course of a week or a month makes it easier to plan your day and work in time for yourself and for fun. Photo of a planner/Source Unknown
-
Ask for help. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Odds are your friends are going through the same thing that you are and your professors remember when they were in your shoes. Don’t be afraid to forgo happy hour for a nap or to ask for help on an assignment. You are surrounded by people who want you to succeed.
College is not just about getting A’s and finishing a job. It is also not about getting into the coolest clubs and having the craziest memories. College is about figuring out what you want the rest of your life to look like and what you need to do to get there. This can be daunting and hard to manage at times. Remember to take the time to find your balance.