Five Ways I Balance Social & Academic Life as a Brown University Student

If you’re anything like me, you know the struggle of finding the right social and academic balance– trying to do homework for one class while in another, of jam-packed Google Calendars, and of Notion to-do lists that don’t fit onto one page. Between five classes, hangouts with friends, and a long-distance boyfriend, it can feel like there’s never enough time in the day. Once the midterm season starts, it seemingly never ends, and things can start to get overwhelming quickly. 

Referencing my hectic and sometimes random schedule, my friends have called me “the queen of side quests.” From waking up at 5 am to volunteer at a charity event with club swim, to going to the zoo with my lab the morning after a night out, I think I’ve earned the title. And after two semesters of struggling to weigh my academic responsibilities against my social wants and needs, I’ve finally found the perfect balance to share. Below are five tips that help keep me organized and on top of my weekly responsibilities.

Weekly Agendas

While this may seem obvious to some, others I know refuse to step within 10 feet of a to-do list. Of course, this is all up to personal preference, but for me, setting up my Notion agenda along with my Google Calendar on Sunday nights helps me visualize my week and decide when I can plan things like going to the gym or meals with friends. 

SOCIAL Meals with Friends

Speaking of, I’ve found that the best time to incorporate seeing my friends throughout the week is at meals. If you need to eat anyway, why not make it social? This way, I can still work or take care of other responsibilities during my free time knowing that I have already set aside time for friends. Of course, the weekends are a better time to see friends outside of a dining hall, but during the week, social meals are the way to go. My friends have even come to expect texts from me on Sunday evenings as I prepare my agenda and calendar. This strategy also ensures I keep up with my equally busy friends at least once a week. 

School-Specific To-Do List

I am well aware that I talk about Notion way more than the average person. However, that is simply because of how helpful it is in my life. Any tips I have that include Notion can easily be replicated in your organizational app of choice, whether that’s Reminders, Google Keep, or any other site that works for you. I use Notion to create a to-do list and calendar of my school work, separate from my weekly agenda and Google Calendar. This helps me look specifically at the work I have to do and keep track of what’s completed, in progress, and not yet started. It also helps me visualize my due dates and prioritize assignments.

Designated Times

Designating specific times every week for chores or exercise helps me ensure that these tasks, which are also a part of maintaining a healthy and low-stress lifestyle, don’t get pushed to the side in the face of other stressors. For example, I like to do my laundry on Thursday mornings, while Sundays are for resetting, like taking out the trash, wiping down all my surfaces, and vacuuming. 

Set Aside Time for Your Significant Other

This last tip pertains to those who have an additional layer of social responsibility to their significant other. Whether you go to the same school or are long-distance, when you have a busy schedule, it can be hard to dedicate as much time as you’d like to your partner. I recommend scheduling time, whether that be study sessions, a nightly FaceTime, a weekly movie night (I love Teleparty!), or just grabbing dinner a few times a week. This all depends on the style of your relationship, but the biggest thing I can recommend is communication. Check in with your partner to make sure they feel like you’re there for them enough, let them know if you need something more from them, and make an effort to be on the same page about how often you’ll talk or see each other throughout the week. 

My last tip is to be aware that you can’t be perfect! You won’t be 100% every single day, and that’s okay. Over the course of the week that I wrote this article, I ironically found myself impossibly wrapped up in my commitments. Maintaining a balance is an art for sure, and an imperfect one at that. Allow yourself some grace, whether that’s skipping a workout or a class once, and know that the most important thing is your health. 

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