I've totally been there. In fact, that’s where I was a month ago. Here's a little idea of where I was at when I initially came to college...
I declared a Biology major about a month before I came to Dayton, my schedule was catered to my liking and before I could believe it I was sitting in my first college class of the year, Bio 151. To give you some context, it is the highest Freshman bio class the University offers, and boy was it going to be a challenge for me. To add to the stress, I was already sitting on a hefty 18-hour course load full of science and math and here was my problem...I absolutely hated it; I was putting all my eggs in one very unstable basket and I realized it.
The second day of classes, I waltzed over to the School of Business Dean's Office and within 45 minutes had a completely different schedule. A month later, I am still sitting on that 18-hour course load but here's the difference...it is 18 credits of passion and not dread.
Now, less about me, more about you...
The only way to be successful in managing your time evenly and effectively is to manage time that you care about. Being in college you have much more flexibility in being able to do this. Make sure the things you are dedicating your busy schedule to are things that you actually enjoy and like, this will make the time management process much easier for you.
Whether you are just starting college or are just starting your first real, professional job, you most likely are having moments of feeling so crazy overwhelmed it may become hard to breathe. Here are my top 5 tips on managing your time in the absolute best ways possible:
1. Get Organized
Ok, I know this is easier said than done so before you roll your eyes just gimme a sec...
By writing absolutely everything down that you have to do, you are allowing yourself to make room within your brain for other things. I am a strong believer in the use of an agenda, it has been a staple in my life ever since I started high school. Allow yourself to give your lengthy to-do list to your planner instead of trying to house it in your head all day.
2. Prioritize
A key component of prioritizing that I still find myself learning is to remember that unfortunately, you can't put as much time into every little thing as you want. Make a list, think to yourself "ok maybe I can just hold off doing this until I have a second to sit down and really focus on it". What is the point in putting zero energy in something that is important when you can just hold it off a day and have more time later on to do a good job on it? Getting ahead of the game is not always the objective.
3. Give yourself breaks
Now I am not really sure I have to put much emphasis on this, considering I will admit to giving myself plenty of breaks during my studying sessions but I will mention it anyway. Remember to tell yourself that breaks are crucial for being able to do your work well. Where this value is abused is when people take too many of these 'healthy breaks'. Give yourself 5-10 minutes every 45 minutes to an hour to check Instagram, get a snack, and take some time to yourself.
4. Devote Time to Your Extracurriculars
Make sure you remember to chunk out time to dedicate your busy schedule to the clubs, organizations, etc. that you are involved in. This is where I find myself getting the most overwhelmed. It may seem slightly impossible to have three meetings in one night and still have to study for a test and quiz that you have the next day but trust me you can handle it. Although it may take some prioritizing ;) there is nothing you can't handle.
5. Self-Care
I plan on doing multiple posts dedicated to the topic of self-care but I will end with this note on this post specifically because of how important it is. You wanna take a nap during your busy day?! Take a nap. You wanna grab a milkshake during your study sesh?! Grab a milkshake. Give yourself room to take a breath. This, truthfully, is the only way you are going to be able to be successful in managing your time effectively and well, trying to get work done when you are tense and stressed will only lead to more tension and stress within your already-busy day.
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