People constantly ask me “how do you do it all?” my answer is -and always will be- I don’t.
The reality of the situation is that as college students who work a full time job there is a fine line between being super motivated and just completely overloading yourself.
If you’re anything like me then you see another girl boss girl bossing so hard and you say to yourself “I can do that”! As a woman we have to fight for our spot at the table, I will never turn down that fight but I have to ask myself… Do I belong at this table?
I am here to show you that not only can you work a full time job, go to college, have a love life, have friends and have good mental health. You can grow within your company, sit on college organizations executive boards, get married, have a group of friends who understand you, and promote a healthy lifestyle to your peers. All at the same time, but not without extreme dedication and planning.
Here are my 5 tips on how I do it:
Stick to your schedule
Having a detailed schedule and planning ahead is key. I might sound a little bit like a crazy person when I say this but I have learned to develop different “brains”. I have to fully shift my mind to be in work, school, and home mode in order to successfully get through my day without feeling too overwhelmed. I am no shapeshifter, but I try my best to only work on “work things” during my designated work hours. I arrive at school a bit early or stay late to work on homework while in my school environment. This one is the hardest for me but I try not to stress about all the things I have to do tomorrow. Emphasis on the fact that all I can do is try my best to do all of these things. Like any thing in life, it’s never going to play out the way we plan or want it to so some weeks school holds more of your time then others. As long as you’re scheduling out time for all the things you want to accomplish this week, you’re setting yourself up for success.
Learn to say No
Typically once you tap into your true potential you are going to have more opportunities awarded to you. If you rock that confident demeanor in your workplace and in the classroom then you will be an attractive candidate for open leadership positions. Eventually, you will need to learn how to say no. In my last 3 years at Rollins college, I have and still do struggle to say no. In order to be the absolute best you can be at everything you do, you need to pick a few things and really put in the work. I am a broke college student and if my school is offering free T-shirts and food I am automatically going to want to go, but considering i just worked all day, I have homework due in a few hours, and I would need to drive 20 minutes just to get to school, it might not be the best use of my limited time to go to this organizations event.
Establish preferred forms of communication
Before you can be in true communication with another human you need to establish what the best way of communicating with yourself may be. This might come with a bit of trial and error and that is perfectly normal. Are you a sticky note girl? An agenda girl? Or email yourself girl? Whatever your preference is you need to know how you are going to be able to access that information when it is more relevant. When working alongside multiple individuals you will need to be able to express your preferred form of communications and have that stay true to your daily endeavors.
Fight the FOMO
As a person who lives off campus, works two jobs, and is a full time student it takes sacrifice for me to be a part of something on campus. In this age of social media it is easy to feel like you’re missing out on prime college experiences by not being able to attend every little thing. My advice to you is to realize that the social media team probably made that event seem a lot more fun than it actually was. Staying strong and sticking to prioritizing things that are going to push towards the future you are working towards. Channel your inner Elle Woods studying for the LSAT and fight the urge to go to that frat party when you should be studying.
Be a little bit selfish
When you’re an extremely busy person you need to be a little bit selfish. No one decides to work a full time job while going to college full time for fun. I know for me, I work because I have to. I was blessed enough to be able to put my foot in the door of my future desired career. I had to sit myself down and truly evaluate what my short term and long term goals were for my life and decide if I am ok with not spending too much time with my friends, not having a ton of extra money to spend, and working 13 hour days. If your schedule only allots for a 15 minute break between classes, selfishly spend that on your phone not interacting with anyone. It is the little things that keep ourselves grounded.