Managing Class, Clubs, Jobs, Internships and more as a 4.0 GPA College Kid
Trust me. I know how easy it is to feel like you’re suffocating under a pile of things you have to do, places you have to be, and work shifts that feel like the most inconvenient timing in the world. College is a lot, and most students are involved in many different activities at once during the week. It’s so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of college life, and then realize you haven’t even started that assignment that’s due at 11:59pm tonight. Whoops…
While it’s important to stay on top of work and classes, I find it equally as important to make sure you have time for the other pieces of your college experience, such as spending time with friends or going to club events. Here’s five tips on how to stay on top of your work, as well as your other activities:
- Utilize A Paper Planner
My number one tip for managing all these different commitments is to learn how to budget your time. To do this, my favorite college hack is to keep a paper planner. I know that Google calendar is popular, and would serve the same purpose as a paper planner, but in my opinion the paper planner makes it so much easier and satisfying to plan your week. Every Sunday, I take a little time to write about the things I need to do in the coming week. I’ll put down class times, work schedules, club meetings I’d like to attend, homework assignments, Zoom meetings, when I’d like to go to the gym, etc. etc. This way it serves as a more personal way to realize what my expectations are for the coming week, and leave myself space to pencil in any work.This method has nearly always allowed me to budget my time in a way that leaves my weekends free to whatever I want to do.
I also recommend keeping a collection of highlighters for the planner. I use these to cross off the things I’ve accomplished every day, and help set a visual example of what I need to do to finish all my requirements. If I went to class, afterwards I can drag a purple highlighter through the class in my planner, and check it off. And to make it more fun, I get to choose what color I want to use that day, or for that week! At the end of the week you should have a bright colorful planner!
- Schedule Study Sessions to Get your Work Done
My tip for making sure your work gets done when it needs to is to schedule when you’re going to get started and when you plan to have it finished. And then get out of your dorm room to do it. I know, I know. It’s comfortable, cozy, and you don’t have to worry about walking all the way across campus in order to do it. However, it’s also so stupidly easy to get distracted in a dorm room. Your roommates/suite-mates could come in and try to spark conversation, and you’re surrounded by all your things that you’d so much rather be concentrating on than the blank google doc in front of you. And the worst part is that your bed is right there calling your name, and a nap just always sounds so good and refreshing. It’s nearly impossible to lock in and concentrate on what you need to get done. It’s so useful to be able to get out of your room, walk over to any of the study locations on campus, take out your computer and notebook (and paper planner wink wink) and be able to fully concentrate on what you need to study or get done before the due date or your next test.
This tip is even better if you have a couple friends that don’t mind going with you to get your work done! There is nothing quite as motivating as feeling guilty by all the keyboards you hear around you to encourage you to get your own work done, let me tell you. I find it so much easier to be able to get my own work done, when I’m surrounded by friends that are also trying to get their work done too. This way, the atmosphere is quiet, concentrated, and relatively non-distracting that lets both (or all) of you get your work done.
Keep in mind that if you go studying with friends that you should make sure the friends you go with also have assignments to complete. Otherwise, they’ll try to engage in conversation while you’re trying to get your paper finished for your 8am class the next morning. Don’t do it. Choose your study partners wisely, or study alone is my best advice.
- Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin
The third tip I swear by is making sure you plan for rest. There’s so much pressure nowadays to make sure that you’re always busy, always working, and have no time for rest, relaxation, or sleep. The idea of burnout is so romanticized in today’s world. Overachievement, 2am late night study sessions, and only getting a few hours of sleep are all praised. I disagree with this notion heavily. If anything, I do my WORST work when I’ve had nothing to eat, no time to sleep, and no time to recharge. For this, I always try to make sure I’m not doing any school or internship work past 9-10pm. Anything I do past that should be reserved for watching TV, catching up on a book, hanging out with friends, etc. This helps me wind down after my day to be able to wake up the next morning to tackle anything I didn’t finish before I went to sleep. This tip ensures that I always go to bed less stressed and more relaxed than I would’ve if I’d done my work right up until I passed out.
- Don’t Skip Your Obligations to Make Room for Other Obligations!
Do NOT skip class to work on other work/obligations. I know! It’s so tempting, the lecture is boring, and the professor is going to post the slides anyway, so what’s the harm? Nope. I disagree. Even if you go to class and passively take notes, I believe that the experience of being in the classroom and hearing the professor speak will get you more out of learning than reading through the notes afterwards. Additionally, if you choose to skip a class, it’s so easy to skip the next one, and the next one, and the next one. And before you know it your participation score is 50%, and you’re scrambling to catch up on the work that you missed in addition to the work you already had! If you’re not skipping for a medical or emergency reason, it’s not worth it!
- It’s Okay to Say No, Thank You!
My last tip for staying balanced at college is that it’s okay to say no to things (except class…). If you have a lot of obligations, and you feel overwhelmed and overworked, it’s okay to trim down what you need to do for the semester. You don’t need to be an active member of every single club, it’s perfectly fine to choose one or two clubs you enjoy, and not go to the rest of the events held. I understand, you want to be as involved as you can! But overbooking and spreading yourself thin can result in not being able to fully concentrate on the things that are really important, because you’re too worried about being able to attend the Paint and Sip event on Thursday at 5pm. It’s okay to prioritize certain events over others! While being involved is super important and critical to the college experience, that doesn’t mean you need to make yourself available 24/7.
These tips have helped me get through my first two years here at the College of New Jersey, and I swear by each of them. As someone who maintains a 4.0 GPA and a laundry list of To-Dos, I promise you that these tips help me keep centered, concentrated, and on top of everything I set out to do. You got this!