Waking up at 5 a.m. to meditate is great and all, but when you’re working two jobs and taking classes full time, sometimes you have to prioritize. Here’s a list of must-dos for all those who are just trying to get through that last chunk of the semester.
Take an “off” day:
If you can swing it, try to find at least one day of the week that you can schedule off from work, activities and classes. Even if you end up doing homework all day long, at least you don’t have to worry about checking your schedule and being on time. Sunday is usually my day for this, since most school activities aren’t going on.
Do your homework early:
As obvious as this may be, the feeling of having time to spare is the very essence of self-care. Unfortunately, procrastination usually gets the best of us. At the very least, try to get your readings done the day before.
Prioritize your assignments:
It may be tempting to just do your readings instead of preparing for that 90-minute group presentation, but at some point you have to realize that the slideshow isn’t going to edit itself! Try to put in your major assignments in your planner at the beginning of the semester, so they don’t surprise you later. On the topic of planners…
Use both google calendar AND a written planner:
For me, physically writing down my list of assignments for the week makes them seem less overwhelming. I write down all my work shifts and class times in both my planner and enter them in on google calendar later, so that I get phone reminders when on the go. I’d recommend using the Hamline planner, since it already has the school dates and events in. For the over-achiever, I’d recommend looking into bullet journaling.
Change your laptop/phone wallpapers:
Ok, hear me out – there’s something peaceful about having a mountain view in the background while I cry-type my final papers. If you’re feeling productive, emmastudies.com uploads new wallpapers that double as calendars at the beginning of every month.
Make music playlists:
I have separate playlists for everything. For when I’m at work, when I’m trying to fall asleep and when I’m in the car. I even have ones for each of my classes when I’m doing homework! Spotify is free, but premium is only $4.99 a month for students (it also comes with hulu, in case you need yet another way to waste your time).
Shower every day:
Apparently showering every single day isn’t any healthier then showering only a few times a week, but what better form of self-care is there then washing your stress down the drain?
As busy college students, it can be easy to focus so much on the things you have to do that you forget to find time just to breathe. But if even one of these tips will help you more in the long run, then it’s worth putting in a little effort.