When you hear the word “college” you think big libraries, huge classes, and great dining at all the DCs (especially Berk!). However, UMass is much more than the homework and late night snacking. Balancing all the aspects of college life can be rough, but we are here to help you find your way through it all! Here are a few quick, and fail proof tricks for how to balance all those extracurriculars and still get that A+.
1. Prioritize. We know the parties are fun, but shot gunning a beer isn’t going to get you your first internship. School is why we’re all here to begin with, so staying focused and remembering what’s important is key. Prioritizing what classes to give more attention to is going to help you over the course of the semester and keep you on track for graduation and future job opportunities. We recommend using a planner to keep track of what’s coming up in future weeks and staying on task with homework and papers.
2. Get Organized. Feeling overwhelmed? Make a list starting with the most important thing at the top. Keeping track of time is crucial so having a watch is also very helpful to getting things done. Time can be fleeting at college so begin with the most time sensitive assignment and get started! Something cute to do while making a To-Do list is adding check boxes next to each item. When you’re done you can check it off and feel accomplished!
3. Get Involved. Getting involved is a great thing to do at college, especially here at UMass. There are so many things you can participate in such as clubs, Greek life, intramurals, and on-campus jobs. Balancing all of these can be tough at times, but your extra-currics should be fun – not stressful. You don’t have to do it all right now, you have four years! Participate in things you’re passionate about and want to devote your time to. Many of these activities can help you balance school work and won’t take you away from it (such as Greek life), so keep that in mind.
College is about taking advantage of all the opportunities so the sooner you get the hang of it, the better! Good luck, collegiettes!
P.S. Writing for Her Campus is a great way to get involved on the UMass Campus!