It’s that time of year again! The time where my life seems like it’s falling apart, thanks to midterms, work and the holidays quickly approaching. I often find myself crying for no reason – shout out to Strozier for acting as a therapist – just because I never have any time to just chill out. This semester, I’m only taking four classes, but I have a job and I’m in a long-distance relationship. It’s a lot, to be honest. And I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels like they have too much on their plate, so I reached out to a few FSU students and got their best pieces of advice!
One of the most common answers was to invest in a planner and use it diligently. I don’t know about you, but I am the worst at keeping a planner. I write a few things in it and within a week, I lose it or just forget about it. But some people swear by them, and these people seem to have their lives put together pretty well. One student suggested updating it every Sunday night, to make sure you’re ready for the week. Maybe I’ll try that.
An alternative to a paper planner is your phone’s calendar. I’m actually pretty good about this (probably because my phone is always in my hand). If you have an iPhone, you have the option to set reminders for events in your calendar. For example, my work schedule is imported to my phone’s calendar as soon as it’s posted. On the days that I have to work, I get reminders two hours before I’m supposed to show up. This gives me plenty of time to get dressed and eat before my shift starts. We love being responsible employees!
Going along with the electronic side of things, one student mentioned using stickies, which are electronic sticky notes on Mac computers. She says she puts all of her due dates and functions for the week on the stickies so it’s easy to see what she has going on. If you don’t have the electronic stickies on your laptop, you could also use literal sticky notes. A few people said they put them on their monthly calendars for last-minute events or assignments. I love this because let’s be honest, I can’t fit everything into the little squares on my calendar.Â
Another idea is to just print out your entire syllabus when your professor gives it to you during Syllabus Week. You can even tape them on your wall in your room so it’s easily accessible. This allows you to be able to see everything you have coming up for the entire semester and plan accordingly. Side note: You can hide them behind your door or somewhere similar to make sure your room still looks as cute as possible!
Now, let’s talk about to-do lists. I love these. There’s no better feeling than the satisfaction you get when you’re finally able to cross something off. I use my notes app for all of my lists and let me tell you, it’s a lifesaver. Like I said, my phone is always with me so, in turn, my to-do list is always with me. You can use them to remind yourself of literally anything. No judgment, but sometimes I’ll put “eat” or “sleep” on my lists just so I can mark them off.Â
And this is one of the most important things I was told: To juggle life, school and work, make sure you’re looking out for your mental health. It is okay to take a break from homework, take a day off of work, or tell your girl gang that you just need a night in to relax. Also, make sure you aren’t prioritizing one more than another. Don’t focus so much on school that you don’t have fun with your friends. Don’t spend so much time working that you start to fail your classes. Don’t try so hard to be a people pleaser that you neglect your other responsibilities.Â
It’s hard being a student, especially at this point in the semester. But with a planner and sticky notes, you can rule the world.Â
Images courtesy of Cheyanne Walker.
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