While college can be a fun and great experience, there’s no argument that it’s also a quite stressful one. Everyone strives to make their time in college count. There is lots of pressure inside and outside the classroom. Oftentimes, we find ourselves struggling to keep up with everything on our plates whether it’s classes, jobs, clubs, friends, etc. Therefore, time management and self-care is crucial. An important aspect of time management and self-care is setting boundaries.
The first question is, who do we set boundaries with? The answer is everyone. At this stage in our lives, we have every right to choose who we want around and how often. Parents, family, and friends outside of school may be pressuring you to come home more often than you’re comfortable with, which can start affecting your performance at school and/or your social life, so it would be a good idea to voice that concern and set that boundary with them. A common example; you want to go home and spend time with your family for a week during a long school-break, but they want you to stay the entire break. Putting your foot down and only staying the amount of time you’re comfortable with is setting a boundary with them.
Friends in college can also be demanding of your time.Whenever you’d rather not go out or you feel that you should be putting your time elsewhere, learn to respectfully decline the invitations. Those moments when you don’t feel like drinking or spending extra money, but your friends do? That’s an opportunity to set a boundary. Setting them with your significant other is also very important for many reasons because relationships require a lot of your time and attention. It’s necessary to cut back when you feel that it is mentally draining and/or you feel as though you’re compromising your individuality due to spending excessive amounts of time with them.
Clubs and organizations are great ways to boost your resume, meet new people, and network. However, it’s very easy to get carried away. Being in roles of leadership and responsibility is important, but not at the expense of your mental health. Taking on too many roles and responsibilities can increase your risk of a nervous breakdown and lead to a “burnout”. It’s good to be involved but don’t over do it. Jobs can have this effect on you too. College is expensive and employers are very aware of that. Students have a tendency to be quite money-motivated and picking up extra hours doesn’t sound too bad when you’ve got many expenses sitting on your lap. Don’t prioritize short-term work over your long-term goals or your mental health. In order to perform well and give the best version of yourself, try not to spread yourself too thin.
Boundary-setting is not easy and oftentimes accompanied by guilt. Being a student is stressful and it goes beyond the classroom as we try to support ourselves, ensure our success post-graduation, and maintain our relationships. It may be hard, but try not to prioritize too many people and responsibilities over yourself. Taking care of you is important and also a factor to success. Anyone who cares about you and respects you, will learn to respect your boundaries as well.