Being a college student and staying on top of all your responsibilities can very easily become overwhelming. In order to offset the feeling of not having enough time for everything I enjoy doing, I try to maximize my time as much as possible. It’s still a work in progress for me, but these tactics have had the biggest impact on my day.
- Do Homework in between classes.
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I often get to my classes early, leaving me with 10 – 15 minutes of scrolling through social media. In the moment, this doesn’t feel like I’m wasting much time, but adding up these little moments 2-3 times a day equals a good amount of homework getting done. As an English major, I usually have a reading or writing assignment to do. Therefore, by implementing this tip, I get that head start in reading or get to brainstorm a writing idea. While this time may seem minuscule, I am always grateful for getting ahead when I finally sit down to start my work after a long day.
- limit screen time
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I’m still working on this one, but limiting my screen time has brought me so many benefits. One obvious benefit of limiting screen time is having more time on my hands. I have also found that it gives my brain a break from constant stimulation. It’s really easy to automatically think maximizing your time means doing something at every possible moment of the day. However, that’s not what I mean at all, and in fact, that would probably leave me even more overwhelmed and burnt out. Having those moments where I’m not staring at a screen gives both my eyes and brain a well deserved break!
- having a night routine
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Even if my whole day is filled to the brim with things to do, I know that I at least have my night routine to myself. It doesn’t have to be super complicated to be effective. I usually play some music, brush my teeth, and wash my face. I also like to prepare what I will be wearing tomorrow, wash any last minute dishes, and put up my hair. I prefer to call my night routine a closing shift because it gets me in the groove of winding down. For the last 15-30 minutes before bed, I try to avoid any mindless scrolling on my phone. It’s not too much of a break from my phone, but I have noticed that I can fall asleep faster because of it. Therefore, it helps me get my 8 hours of sleep faster, and I don’t waste time tossing and turning in bed.
I try to follow these tips to the best of my abilities, but sometimes time does run away from me. I don’t beat myself up over it because I always have the next day to improve. I do know that implementing these strategies in my daily life have helped me feel more in control of my day. I can make time for not only school life but also for living!