Let's be real: does a balance between work and life really exist? Is it just a myth made up by people who are pretending to have it all, when they are secretly drowning like the rest of us? Probably. There have been many times when I find myself scrolling through twitter and laughing at a tweet or meme about trying to balance all your responsibilities in college that are far too relatable. We have all definitely seen this one:
College can be rough and if you think too long and hard about all the things you need to manage and squeeze into your schedule in order to get good grades, land that dream internship, hang out with your friends, navigate a romantic relationship, work out, keep your room tidy, feed yourself, close your eyes for 10 minutes in the next 24 hours… You will find yourself having a Britney moment. Be honest, you’ve been there.
Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks that I have found helpful for evening the playing field between school work, internships, friendships, and well sleeping more than 2 hours a night.
1. Plan out and schedule your week down to the tiniest of details.
Get a planner and schedule in everything. This means your classes, internship schedule, workout classes, times to hang out with friends, meetings for extra curricular activities and clubs, and yes even ~you~ time. Being able to visualize your week and see it on paper helps you stay on track and not overwhelm yourself with trying to remember it all.
2. Try to get a week ahead on your schoolwork.
For most people this seems absolutely insane, but I promise if you can get some work done ahead of time you will feel a lot better and it will help you handle any curve balls that might be coming at you. Sometimes things don’t go according to your perfectly manicured planner, so being one step ahead helps balance things out. This also helps with finding your work-life balance. If you want to hang out with your friends for a last minute Taco Tuesday you won’t be forced to decline because “You have a five page paper due at midnight and you only have a header written at 7PM.”
3. Wake up early.
There will never be enough time in a day, but in order to take advantage of the time we do have waking up early is the way to do it. It may take a cup or coffee or two, but once you get yourself in the habit you will be a lot more productive and will find yourself checking off all your ‘To Do’s” and sticking to your scheduled plan. Plus you will be tired at night so when your head hits the pillow you will actually sleep and not scroll through twitter for an hour.
4. Give yourself a break on the weekends.
There is no better reward to working hard all week than being able to go out and have great time with friends. In finding balance, it is so important to put the school books away or leave the office and find time to let loose and have fun. Let yourself sleep in on weekends, have a spa day, go for a run binge watch your favorite show. Make sure you are taking time for things that feed your soul and not just your brain.
This blog post was written by Brianna Greco, Conference Coordinator
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