Being a college student comes with a new sense of freedom. Students create their own schedules and do whatever their hearts desire. However, a lesson to be learned early in college is to party hard, but study harder. Socializing and going out is a great way to balance all of the work and studying that professors demand, but everything needs to be done in moderation.
One tool that helps me the most is my calendar – a physical calendar where I can write stuff down, so that I can remember it better. Phone calendars are also great because you can set reminders for when events will occur. I write down my classes for the entire quarter, so that I know which hours of the week I am not available. Next, I will jot down club meetings. Whether your clubs are for socializing or for your future career, scheduling them starts narrowing down the hours of the week you are available.
As important as making time with friends is, it is also important to schedule time with yourself. I found myself spending so much time outside of my home that I was only there to sleep. Eventually, I missed having a few hours to myself where I could watch one episode of a show or just read a book. Scheduling a few hours for yourself throughout the week before scheduling time with friends helps make sure you are taken care of.
I schedule time with my friends during large gaps between classes or meetings so that, at the end of the day, I can focus on studying or doing homework. If your gaps are later in the night, you can do the same, but do work earlier in the day. That way, the idea of getting stuff done at the crack of dawn will not linger over you.
Sometimes, I find that instead of just expecting myself to do work, it is better to schedule it like everything else. That makes me feel more pressured because I feel like I have a time constraint to do work. Ultimately, the trick to being able to balance everything is scheduling your life. It’s important to remind yourself that academics should be a priority, but having a healthy and balanced like also requires you to spend time with others as well as yourself!