If you’re reading this, you’re probably a stressed out and overwhelmed college student with too many things to do and too little time for them all. As I’m sure you could guess, I am too.
Although I never make it seem that way, I am in a constant state of pressure to do everything perfectly and engulfed in way too many things I need to do. I’m in about 7 billion things. Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but it is a lot. I’m going to state what I’m currently doing, while taking note that sometimes it varies to be more or less.
This semester, I’m taking 5 classes, which adds up to 17 credits. This includes Sociology 216, which is Sex, Gender and Sexuality (3 credits), Integrative Social Science 335 which is my last gen ed EVER and is about National Diversity and Change (4 credits), Hebrew 102, which is the second class of the language (4 credits), Women’s Studies 202, which is Intro to Contemporary Feminisims and Gender Theories (3 credits), and English 210, which is Foundations of Literary Study I (3 credits). Each class takes many, many hours a week with the amount of readings and assignments plus the actual class time.
Outside of classes, there are 4 student organizations that I am involved in and am on the executive board (eboard) for, which are HerCampus, Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA), We Are Queens (WAQ), and Pad the Mitten. For HerCampus, I am a Staff Writer, Assistant Editor, Intern, Women’s History Month (WHM) Coordinator, and Campus Trendsetter, which all take an average of 15 hours a week. For PPGA, I am the Secretary, which takes an average of 7 hours a week. For WAQ, I am the Vice President and help with the management of social media. This one takes up to 5 hours a week. For Pad the Mitten, I am the Donation Coordinator on the Education Committee, which accounts for about 5 hours a week.
Outside of classes and student organizations, I am a Resident Assistant (RA) in Brody Hall where I have varying tasks for over 20-25 hours a week. I am also involved with MSU’s Hillel and attend the Israeli Learning Fellowship (ILF) 201 class once a week for at least 2 hours a week. I am converting to Judaism, and I go to Shabbat at Chabad weekly for varying hours every week, but it usually ends up being at least 4 hours. And, I (attempt) to schedule free-time throughout the week.
To manage everything, I use a lot of schedules and lists. I use a giant monthly and weekly planner for the entire week and a daily notepad planner for an hour-by-hour plan and to see only the day’s tasks written out. Below is an example of a daily schedule and task list I used for Wednesday, March 2. This is not inclusive of my month and week ones or other random lists I made throughout this specific day.
Wednesday, March 2
Tasks/ To-Dos
key: ✔ = done, X = cancelled or not doing, ⇾ = move to another day
✔ SOC 216 class @830-950
X ISS 335 class @1020-1210
✔ HEB 102 class @600-720
✔ PPGA meeting @730-830
✔ PPGA eboard meeting @830-10
✔ SOC- film worksheet due tonight @1159
✔ ISS- hw due tonight @1159
⇾ ISS- news reporting presentation on 3/14
✔ HEB- practice
✔ HEB- midterm tomorrow
⇾ HEB- essay due 3/14
✔ WS- zine due after spring break
⇾ WS- share 3/31
⇾ ENG- assignment 2 due 3/23
✔ Trivia powerpoint for RA event due tomorrow
✔ Meet with resident for res chat @1
✔ Meet with professor @230 about assignment
⇾ Scholarship things for study abroad due 3/15
✔ Finish up two articles for HerCampus
✔ Intern stuff for HerCampus
✔ Work on figuring out my HerCampus deadlines and adding things
✔ Profile interview → send docs out
X Call docs
⇾ Clean room before break
✔ Do laundry OR ask mama if I can bring it home
Schedule
7-8: get up; get ready; pack; grab combo for breakfast
8-830: walk to class; send PPGA reminder email
830-950: SOC 216 class
950-11: go to dining hall (class was cancelled); practice hebrew
11-12: eat lunch with boyfriend; walk to hall where my next class is
12-1: work on HerCampus things (profile interviews, articles, edits
1-115: meet with resident via zoom
115-230: continue working on HerCampus things
230-3: meet with professor about WS assignments
3-4: WS: zine work on
4-5: ISS homework finish and submit
5-6: trivia powerpoint; call mama after work
6-720: HEB 102 class
720-730: run to hall where PPGA meeting is at
730-830: PPGA meeting
830-10: PPGA eboard meeting
10-1030: get shamrock shakes with eboard; pack for boyfriend’s apartment; walk 5 min there
1030-12: SOC film worksheet finish and submit
12-bedtime: hang with the boys and work on HerCampus things; get ready for bed
Bedtime-7am: sleep :)
So, what are my biggest tips and tricks?
Plan everything out. Trust me, you are definitely going to want to adapt these habits to handle everything. You might not want to do as many different types of lists and planners, but having at least one is super helpful.
Learn to say “no”. If you don’t want to do something or go somewhere, then don’t. You don’t need to do anything you don’t want to.
Try not to procrastinate. This seems very obvious, but you’d be surprised how many of us do this. I, personally, find myself procrastinating a lot. Usually, however, this just means I need a break and need to find time to give myself one, which leads me into my next tip…
Give yourself a break. PLEASE, start giving yourself breaks. Even if that means scheduling out a few hours a day or a week to do what you need to make yourself happy. Make time for yourself as your mental and physical health come first always.
Hopefully my task list and schedule example as well as the tips and tricks I gave are helpful in your future planning and management of school and life in general!