College is one of the most exciting and draining experiences a student will ever live through. Even though we’ve already spent 12 years in school, college is something completely different. We were never properly taught how to manage time between our studies, our social life, and our free time, especially if we are far away from home. Although we were taught how to fill our resumés or CVs with different extracurricular activities—which don’t even have to be related to our degrees as long as our passionate and hardworking nature shines through.
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College is a place where we can discover different interests. By joining the associations or clubs offered on campus, we can even learn new things and make new friends, sharing our interests with others. Now, that sounds like a lot, but I didn’t even include college courses and their workload. If you’re like me, a busy bee, that means taking 21 credits (7 courses), being part of 3 associations and having 2 jobs… Here are five things that have helped me “survive” college life.
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- Balance Is The Key
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I know that you have probably heard that phrase, or similar ones, thousands of times before, but it still holds true. There is a concept called Occupational Balance which is achieved when an individual engages in the right amount, and variety, of occupations to support their health and well-being. As students, we have different aspirations and responsibilities which leads us to pressure ourselves. Sometimes we want to focus on acing an exam or submitting an assessment, but we forget to breathe and do things we love. The most important thing that we have to practice is organization. Have a calendar and keep track of your daily assignments and activities. You do not have to study all day long, you can do various things.
Imagine this: You have to submit an assignment next week, and your friends invite you to go to the movies on the weekend. What are you going to do? Are you going to say no to your friends and take a “raincheck” or are you going to go?
Here is what I’d do: I would write down all the assignments and their due dates. Once I have that figured out, I would write down the hypothetical days that I’d be taking on those assignments. Then, I’d try to finish the majority of the assignments before the weekend, so I can go and spend time with my friends. Anything left can be finished afterwards.
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- Unplug Your Mind, Recharge Your Soul, Or Rest
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Sometimes, we tend to work continuously without taking a break. I think that, as a student, that is one of the biggest misconceptions that we tend to have. We must finish what we have to do, and not prioritize other things, such as having fun by ourselves or spending time with family and friends. We are overwhelmed by the amount of assignments we have to do, that we forget to sit and relax without worrying. The most important thing we have to do is rest. This doesn’t only mean sleeping, it also means that we have to take breaks. We don’t notice, but our mind gets tired too; this is called mental exhaustion or mental fatigue. To prevent that, I have a daily “free period” or “free time” that’s just for me. I do things I enjoy such as watching Korean Dramas, listening to music, or just resting in bed.
Imagine this: You have worked nonstop trying to complete your assignments when the artist you like suddenly uploads a new song. What are you going to do? Are you going to listen and watch a 3 minute long music video or are you going to keep working until you finish?
Here is what I’d do: I’d decide to listen to the music, and not only that, I’d stand up and walk. Being in the same position for an hour or two is not fun as our bodies begin to ache. While taking the break, I’d decide to focus on doing things I like to do for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, once I relaxed, I would start working again. As I said before, it’s all about balance.
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- Take Care Of Your Mind, Body, And Soul
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Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not just an absence of disease or infirmity. We have to take care of ourselves first to be able to complete our degrees. Sometimes, we want to finish all our assignments without noticing what time it is, without sleeping, and by skipping meals. Doing these might seem harmless. For example, you might say: “I’ll go to sleep once I finish my homework,” but then you weren’t done until 2:00 A.M. and have to get up at 5:00 A.M. for a class. Doing this constantly affects sleeping, which is “essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk.” Another example is skipping meals to advance tasks and finish faster. It is important to eat three meals a day, as that helps your brain and heart health. If we are not healthy and taking care of ourselves, how are we going to continue doing everything that is required?
Here is what I do: I prioritize my meals, sleep, and health over everything. I know my body, and I do not ignore the signs it’s trying to tell me. I eat different snacks during the day, and make sure to eat lunch at a specific time. One of my friends says that every time she sees me, I have a snack in my hand. I have this rule for myself which is “I did what needed to be done today.” I have a sleeping schedule and I do not go overboard. I try to finish tasks before that time and fall asleep. If there is something left, I do it the next day. It is better to do something the next day, than being tired from staying up late.
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- Don’t Compare Yourself
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One of the things we tend to do is compare ourselves with others. “How did she finish her bachelor’s before me?” “If I hadn’t changed majors, I would have been graduating with them…” Why do these questions pop up in our minds? The psychologist Pia Linden shared in Arianna Freni’s article that “comparing yourself to others serves as an orientation to see where we stand in a group and whether we need to take some action to improve our performance or position.” Even though it is something “completely normal,” we have to keep in mind that we can’t put pressure on ourselves to be like everyone else. I know this will sound a little cliché, but we are the ones that write our own story and we are the ones who decide if we keep going forward or stop.
Here is what I do: I only see myself, meaning my accomplishments, strengths, and weaknesses. I understand that everyone is different and that I have to follow my own pace. I cannot force myself to be faster than anyone, I have to focus only on myself. There was a quote when I used to do competitive swimming that said “you are your own competition.” I have remembered that quote ever since, and I share it with my friends whenever they compare themselves to others.
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- You Are Doing Your Best
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This last hack… is only to congratulate you! You are doing the best you can and that is enough. People rarely tell you that you are doing your best, you probably don’t even say that to yourself. Sometimes we tend to focus on the negative aspects of our lives and not the best, we do not normally celebrate our accomplishments and say they are enough. But let me tell you, they are enough.
Do things because you wish to do them yourself, not because of anyone else. You know yourself better than anyone, and that’s why you are the only one that can take care of yourself. You are the one who is studying for a degree. If you do not feel a hundred percent happy about what you are doing, you will not feel motivated. We have to glamorize our accomplishments and congratulate ourselves about everything we have accomplished.
That is all friends! These are the five college hacks that have worked for me and I hope that they can help you as well. You have to bring balance to your life, sometimes unplug from your responsibilities, and take care of your mind, body, and soul. Remember to stop comparing yourself to others, and never forget that you are doing your best. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are the most important piece in your life. There is a famous quote that says, “even busy bees stop and smell the roses.”