You can make your schedule as busy or as calm as you’d like in college. What I found best to manage my time was to keep my schedule as equally busy in college as I did in high school. Although that meant for me being less involved in activities and less time to exercise while in college, I am more than content with how I’ve managed my time. Here are some tips that I have found to work for me out of the many areas I have balanced while in college.
1. School work
This is at the top of my to-do list… almost always. Before the start of every semester, I copy down all the due dates within each class syllabus into a cute assignment notebook. From there, I determine how heavy my workload is and where I can fit in anything else I would like to pursue. The only time it wouldn’t be at the top of my list is during family emergencies, if I’ve really been neglecting self-care, or if my friends have told me that I’m too busy.
2. Part-time job
The second most important would be a job because I don’t get financial support from my family to pay for rent, food, or utilities ever. Based on my school schedule, I work with an employer to create a flexible schedule with hours that will pay enough for all the bills. Some peers that I know can work full-time while being a full-time student, but my stress level doesn’t allow me to bend that far. Instead, I work max 25 hours per week… which at that amount I rarely get to see family. Thus, looking at how well your body can manage a busy schedule is key.
3. Activities, volunteering, and self-care
Staying involved in at least one activity is important for me to keep my network growing and meet new friends. Finding an organization or time to volunteer can be difficult since your part-time job most likely fills almost any free time you have. However, whenever I find myself very busy, I at least schedule one day out of the week designated to focusing on me through yoga, meditation, face-masks, and journaling. Although activities and volunteering isn’t quite as crucial since it’s more of filler time to stay involved, self-care is at least vital once per week to keep sane.
4. Friends, family, & relationships
Going into college has made me realize more than ever how important fitting time with friends and family is. I wasn’t a very people-person after my unfortunate high school experience but being independent made me realize how important relationships truly are to humans. Although I was very busy, I managed to request off time from work every other month to visit family. I made friends through activities and just by getting to know my roommate(s) better in the evenings winding down before bed. And I even managed to fall in love along the way, while even finding the time and energy to be with them.
Extra tips: Friends prioritize as number one whether you’re making friends through a weekly activity or just by paying attention to your roommates. Family prioritize less often but still make sure to inform your parents you’re alive and healthy, with occasional visits for proof. Relationships are completely unnecessary but can truly create a whole new meaning to life if you find the time, energy and right person.
5. Apartment chores
I can’t believe I have to list this, but it’s very important in my apartments dynamic. Half of us are neat freaks, three so busy that we need to create due-dates for the chore list, and one just plain lazy. My roommates and I once had an issue where none of us gave the energy to ever prioritize cleaning, which put a lot of stress on the two of us who were clean freaks. This caused us to stress clean the apartment every now and then, ultimately causing tension at the apartment. Creating a chores list solved this issue almost completely and taught us that chores need to be prioritized.
6. Grocery & clothes shopping
Everyone needs groceries, and everyone needs clothes. Since I am on a very strict budget, I realize how important it is to stop at the grocery store no matter how tired or busy I am. Groceries are definitely prioritized and placed on a to-do list with an every-growing and shrinking grocery list I manage on my phone. However, clothes shopping is rarely ever prioritized unless I need something. For an example, since I’m graduating in May, I have been applying for jobs and getting interviews where I’m required to where blazer and slacks too. Since I have always borrowed blazers in the past, knowing that I have upcoming interviews, and a career that I will need to where blazer and slacks too, I prioritized time to go shop for a blazer. As you can see, I need a reason to buy new clothes… because I can’t afford to waste time and money. Some other reasons I choose to buy clothes is to increase confidence, get rid of well-used/damaged clothes, for a special event, or a need for more basics.
Despite the fact I make to-do lists and don’t like to waste time and money, this doesn’t mean that I don’t make time to relax (as you saw self-care prioritized above). This list is perfect for someone who chooses to live a busy life and just needs some help. Let me know if anything else should be added or what you do to manage your lifestyle!