Maybe you’ve heard of a “work-life” balance before? It’s generally used in reference to adults who work full-time at highly demanding jobs, while also trying to balance their family or social life as well. You get into the argument of what’s more important? Is it okay to sacrifice time with your kids in order to spend more time at work in the hopes that you’ll have more money when they’re older? It eventually comes down to a consideration of what your priorities are. To a certain degree, collegiates experience this difficulty too. It’s likely that college is the first time you’ll really encounter this struggle, so you have zero preparation for it, on top of still being very young, and lacking the experience of those in their later 20s or 30s who are balancing a job and a family.
Personally, I’ve always dealt with this school/life balance to some extent, but it really hit home this semester when I began working at least 20 hours a week at a job off-campus. I’ll be graduating in a few short months, so I’m trying to do all that I can here at F&M before I’m done. But, in the midst of doing everything on campus, spending time with my friends, finishing strong with classes, and also working (on and off campus), it’s a lot to handle. That’s why it’s so important to find that perfect balance between my responsibilities for school and the rest of my life.
First, a good idea is to write down everything you’re involved in and prioritize it. I did that over the summer, when I realized that I’d be taking on my second job and also remaining involved in some activities on campus that require a lot of time commitment. I listed everything; my extracurriculars, my work hours, my classes, and the other things I like to do. Then I made my schedule and figured out what I could cut out. There were a couple of activities I gave up that I sincerely love doing, like a musical ensemble, but it was the best thing for me. It’s important to know when to say “no”. The worst you could do is take on more than you can handle and then spread yourself too thin. Your work will suffer, as will your health.
After I decided what I had enough time for in my schedule, I began carefully planning how much time I’d spend on everything. At the beginning of each week, I sit down and plan out my entire week in my planner. There’s something incredibly soothing about it, having a planner the size of a notebook and being able to list how much time every activity I’m involved in will take. I also keep my To-Do lists in my planner. I enter all meetings and events into my phone calendar as well, so I make sure I never forget any commitments. This way, I have more control over my schedule and feel much more organized.
Finally, I’ve learned how important it is to make time for my friends, from home and school. Maybe I’ll push off doing work for an hour or two so I can grab dinner or watch a movie with my friends. Some evenings, I plan on going to a lecture on campus or have a meeting, but I take off and instead drive home to spend time with the people I love. The people in your life that you’re close to come before everything else. It’s okay to procrastinate a little on something, if it means spending the night looking at the stars with your boyfriend, or running to Sheetz at midnight with your roommates.