College is a busy time. You start with a full class load, add on
a couple of student organizations, one or two part time jobs plus an internship
and you're already overwhelmed. As a junior with all of the above, I soon
realized this year would be more difficult than freshmen and sophomore year
combined. I challenged myself with being a Resident Assistant on top of 16 academic
credits, an on-campus job, an internship, three student organizations and still
making time to eat, sleep and see friends.
As a PR major, I have found almost all of my friends in the
major are in a similar situation, yet we all are able to be successful and
somehow keep our sanity.
Here are the ways I have been able to cope and survive week to
week:
My planner is my life.
Every year, I get a free Temple University planner from my
residence hall, and it saves my life. I like it better than putting events and
reminders in my phone calendar. All of my meetings, appointments, exams and
work schedules go in it right away. Whenever I get an email I pencil it in. My
planner keeps me organized and prevents me from double booking myself.
Make "me" time.
Going to the gym and just lying in bed watching Netflix is
sometimes 100% my priority. I love going to one of Temple's gyms or group
fitness classes;it makes me feel good and forces me to put down my phone or
homework. Afterwards, I feel refreshed and more energized. The same thing happens
with Netflix because sometimes at 10 pm I just cannot work on my study guide
anymore or edit another assignment. I put everything away and lay in bed with
my laptop to unwind after a long day.
When meetings overlap and you get asked to do 5 things at the
same time, pick what is most important. It is okay to say no to people or
organizations. You cannot be everywhere all the time. If you said yes to
something last time, give something else a chance next time. It can be very
hard, and I struggle with not making everything a priority but have gotten
better at it over time.
How do you stay organized and handle all of your obligations?