How I Balance My Academic and Personal Life?!

Hey Everyone!

I hope that everyone is having a great week! Today, I thought that I would have a more casual talk with you all. For me personally, I love getting to sit down and just talk to you guys because it is relaxing. So today, I've popped some popcorn, and curled up on the couch with a nice warm blanket to catch up on some YouTube videos, and I thought that I would just kind of have a pretty laid back chat with you guys about how I balance my academic and personal life. So, before I babble on anymore, let's get into it!

So, last semester I took 19 credit hours worth of classes because I am trying to get out of school with a double major a year early (but that is a topic for another post), and will be taking 19 credit hours this semester as well. Last semester I was also in 4 clubs, and was still able to have time to go have fun with friends, here is how I juggled it all.

My Planner

Last semester I used a planner, desk calendar, wall calendar, and my phone calendar to juggle everything and it did not work well at all! Originally I was using the desk calendar for school stuff, and my planner for clubs and phone for clubs and personal stuff. And then the wall calendar was something my roommate and I both used so that we kind of knew what the other was up to and where they were. This semester, my plan is to use my planner for everything, and my phone calendar for the really important things I do not forget. So, at the beginning of the semester, I will take my syllabuses and sit down and write all of my due dates in my planner, which I will be doing a post on eventually, and I will color code them, because it is easier for me to feel organized. I also put all of my meetings for clubs, jobs, and my personal events in my planner as well. I honestly find it therapeutic to have an organized planner and I am a visual person, so it is easier for me to glance at my planner and know exactly what is going on, because I am also pretty forgetful.

Do Not Wait Until the Last Minute

As much as I love to procrastinate, I try not to as much as possible. Now, do I have my whole paper written and finalized a week before it is due, or even two days? Haha I wish. But, I do try to have a decent start to where I just have to put the finishing touches on my homework when that due date creeps up on me. I also try to do the same thing with studying. My favorite way to study is with flashcards. And I love Quizlet because you can get the app on your phone and study anytime. I can also try to do a post on how I study if you would like. No matter how I a studying, I learned last semester that I do better if I study a little bit gradually over time, so I make Quizlets or flashcards as we cover the topics in class and try to study them as I learn the topics. That way the test does not creep up on you, or if something comes up the night before a test, or a paper is due, it is not the end of the world because you have to cram or write a paper. And it makes for a lot less stress, and allows you to go have fun with friends whenever the opportunity arises.

Save Your Saturdays

One of the things that I did all semester and absolutely LOVED was saving my Saturdays. So what exactly does that mean? For me that means not doing homework on Saturdays. I like to save my Saturdays for my time with friends, and time for myself. College can be stressful, and doing homework all of the time gets old, so something that I have tried to do is get everything I can (especially the pressing things) done during the week and on Friday. So that I can have Saturdays off to do what I want. It gives me something to look forward to, and then I finish up everything else I need to do on Sundays. Plus, I have never had a due date on a Saturday so it is the perfect day to take a break after a crazy week.

Set Yourself up for Success for the Week on Sundays 

On Sundays I like to do what I call "set myself up for success" what I mean by this is doing everything I can in advance to make my week go smoothly. So things like catch up on my homework and study stuff, cleaning my room, doing laundry and dishes, the whole nine yards. I know this seems kind of random, but by doing this on sundays it allows me to be able to go do things with friends even during the week. I also like making To-Do lists for the week, because I feel like it keeps me sane and gets me on track for the week.

Sometimes you Have to Say "NO"

Sometimes, things get crazy and you have to prioritize, this may mean saying to not going out with friends to put the final touches on your paper, and that's okay. You have to remember why you are at college, and that you will get to go out with your friends next time.

The Bottom Line is if you Really Want Something, You WILL Find a Way to Make it Work

These are a few of the things that helped keep me sane so that I could still have a personal life even with a heavy course load at school. But the bottom line is, it is going to be different for everyone. For me the key is staying organized and not waiting until the last minute so that I can still go out with friends but it could be different for you. You really have to try things for yourself and kind of learn through trial and error, and if you really want to be able to juggle it all, I am positive you will find a way. I hope this post helped, and I'll catch ya in my next one!